Lille coach: We were just making a protest

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson condemned the behaviour of Lille in a match the Premiership leaders won 1-0.

Puel said: “I don’t know how that man Ferguson can allow himself to comment like that about this. He should have said nothing.

“The team wished to make a complaint about the goal and didn’t want to leave the field. They were just making a protest.

“In France the tradition is to make a protest at the first pause in the game and then after the match.”

Puel said about referee Eric Braamhaar on the quick free-kick goal by Ryan Giggs: “It’s not logical. The signal the referee gave was not clear for everyone, especially for us.

“I don’t understand. We could not express a formal complaint as we could not find a Uefa delegate.”