ALTHOUGH the physical discomfort experienced by Denis Law in his right knee was severe enough when the Manchester United player lay in hospital after a botched cartilage operation ruled him out of the 1968 European Cup final, it was almost a minor irritant compared to the emotional upheaval experienced by his compatriot Darren Fletcher as the midfield player struggled to come to terms with the unfairness of missing out on the Champions League final this month.
Like a condemned man who is punished for a crime he didn't commit, the player will only find aggravation rather than solace in his innocence. It will be no comfort to either the young Scot or his club that Roberto Rosetti's refereeing error in the se
cond leg of the semi-final against Arsenal at the Emirates and the ensuing intransigence of Uefa, European football's governing body, have combined to pilfer what would have been the most notable moment of Fletcher's career.
Apart from Law, who was resigned to missing out 40 odd years ago because of injury, United's Roy Keane and Paul Scholes were also denied an opportunity to play in the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich after picking up yellow cards in the second leg of the semi-final against Juventus that season. Of course the punishment was harsh, and the sense of disappointment for Keane and Scholes at missing out on a showpiece game was deeply felt, but it wasn't half as cruel as the fate which befell Fletcher.
As the former England manager Graham Taylor observed: "It takes something away from the game, that red card. You feel for people like Fletcher. He's a first-class pro."
Over the two legs of the tie against Arsenal, one of the reasons Arsene Wenger's side struggled to get into the match was because of the tireless, unselfish shifts put in by Fletcher. In a team of glittering stars, the Scot would deserve a nomination for United's best supporting player. His energetic runs stop the opposition from finding space and tidy work on the ball help his own side keep possession.
It was typical of Fletcher, when the game was won and Arsenal were playing only for pride, that he should track a run from Cesc Fabregas deep into United's penalty box and somehow get his boot round the Spaniard's legs to clear the ball before the collision brought down his opponent.
From the Italian referee's vantage point, standing behind the incident, he couldn't see whether or not Fletcher got the ball. Rather than consult his assistants, however, Rosetti immediately awarded Arsenal a penalty and showed Fletcher a red card for denying Fabregas a goalscoring opportunity. As the TV replays showed, he was wrong on both counts.
While mistakes are part and parcel of the ebb and flow of football and it would be wrong in retrospect ever to change their bearing on the outcome of a match, it defies logic an unjust suspension can't be overturned for a subsequent game simply because Uefa has no appeals procedure.
That's why it was disingenuous for one unnamed Uefa source, who was quoted by a respected agency yesterday, to claim: "It opens Pandora's box if you can challenge every decision. And if you rule that it is not a red card, then you are also saying it is not a penalty, and therefore not a goal, and what do you do then? Start changing the results of matches?"
If Fletcher had been playing in a domestic match in either England or Scotland and the same incident had taken place, the Scot would have been exonerated and his suspension over-ruled. Both the FA and the SFA have found ways to apply common sense and rescind red cards when referees acknowledge errors.
In Uefa's through-the-looking-glass world, however, not even an admission by the referee that he got it wrong will change the ruling. The organisation has confirmed no appeal can be made against Tuesday's decision, no matter what the referee says in his report.
"Manchester United have the right to protest the decision," volunteered a spokesman for Uefa. "However, the protest is only admissible if the referee made an error and mistakenly identified and cautioned or sent off the wrong player. There cannot be an appeal against a factual decision taken by the referee and there is nothing to indicate the referee made a mistake in identifying Fletcher as the player he penalised."
So, Fletcher, who sat on the bench when United were triumphant in Moscow last year, must serve a statutory one-match ban and will miss the final in Rome later this month. "I feel so frustrated for him," said team-mate Patrice Evra. It's a sentiment everyone who cares about fair play in sport will share.
Costly cards which deprived players of final appearancesMidfielder Darren Fletcher will miss the Champions League final after being dismissed in the semi-final against Arsenal. But the Scotland international is not the first player to have to watch his team-mates contest a final from the stands.
ROY KEANE – 1999 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
THE former Manchester United captain had arguably one of his finest games against Juventus in the 1999 semi-final, scoring a header to spearhead United's comeback. However, the Irishman picked up a booking, ruling him out of the side's memorable victory over Bayern Munich.
PAUL SCHOLES – 1999 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
Scholes scored a vital away goal against Inter Milan in the last eight but an untimely card ruled him out the showpiece.
LAURENT BLANC – 1998 WORLD CUP FINAL
In the semi-final, talismanic defender Blanc and Croatia's Slaven Bilic jostled at a free-kick, with the Frenchman raising a hand to Bilic's face. The result was a much-criticised Bilic collapsing theatrically to the floor and robbing the eventual winners of their captain.
MICHAEL BALLACK – 2002 WORLD CUP FINAL
Playmaker Ballack scored the only goal in Germany's 1-0 semi-final win over South Korea, but was cautioned for a cynical foul, depriving the finalists of a key player. They lost 2-0 to Brazil.
PAVEL NEDVED – 2003 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
The Czech Republic captain scored to help Juventus through to the final against Real Madrid but was also booked for a foul on Steve McManaman.
LOUIS SAHA – 2006 WORLD CUP FINAL
In the semi-final against Italy, France striker Saha received a yellow card putting him out of the final against Italy.
LUIS GARCIA AND HAYDEN MULLINS – 2006 FA CUP FINAL
In a bizarre twist, a late-season league game pitted finalists Liverpool and West Ham against each other in a dress rehearsal for the Millennium Stadium. Both Mullins and Garcia saw red for a fracas which ensured they would play no part.
