Post by Taxigirl on Mar 13, 2004 15:50:03 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/3507618.stm
Barcelona's Thiago Motta claims Celtic defender Bobo Balde should take the blame for the fracas in the players' tunnel during Thursday's Uefa Cup tie.
Celtic boss Martin O'Neill is set to appeal against the dismissal of goalkeeper Rab Douglas, who was sent off along with Motta.
But the Barcelona midfielder insisted Balde was the only player who should have been dismissed.
"Balde completely lost it and that started the whole thing off," he said.
He continued: "At the end of the first half, we were going into the tunnel when Balde arrived and had a go at one of my team-mates.
"Another team-mate came to break it up so Balde had a go at him too. The police got involved in the middle of it but, at that point, Celtic's keeper arrived.
"He was having a go at my team-mates so all I did was try to restrain him.
"When Balde came charging in, it looked like he was about to hit someone and that's why I intervened so the only one to blame for the tunnel incident is Balde."
Barcelona's Thiago Motta claims Celtic defender Bobo Balde should take the blame for the fracas in the players' tunnel during Thursday's Uefa Cup tie.
Celtic boss Martin O'Neill is set to appeal against the dismissal of goalkeeper Rab Douglas, who was sent off along with Motta.
But the Barcelona midfielder insisted Balde was the only player who should have been dismissed.
"Balde completely lost it and that started the whole thing off," he said.
He continued: "At the end of the first half, we were going into the tunnel when Balde arrived and had a go at one of my team-mates.
"Another team-mate came to break it up so Balde had a go at him too. The police got involved in the middle of it but, at that point, Celtic's keeper arrived.
"He was having a go at my team-mates so all I did was try to restrain him.
"When Balde came charging in, it looked like he was about to hit someone and that's why I intervened so the only one to blame for the tunnel incident is Balde."