Allegri: 'Ref decided the tie'

By Football Italia staff

Max Allegri believes referees cost Juventus the Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid in both legs. “We deserved extra time.”

The Bianconeri conquered the Bernabeu 3-1 and had been 30 seconds away from extra time, overturning a 3-0 first leg defeat, when Cristiano Ronaldo converted a very soft penalty.

“I don’t want to judge what the referee did,” the Coach told Mediaset Premium.

“I feel bad for the lads, who did well in Turin for 60 minutes and didn’t score the goals they did tonight. The penalty tonight was basically the reverse of what happened on Juan Cuadrado in the first leg… I said even at the time that incident would decide qualification.”

He was referring to a penalty not awarded for a trip on Cuadrado in stoppages.

“We deserved at least to go to extra time, as we had two substitutes left and they could give an important push in that extra half-hour with Real Madrid tiring.

“Either I had to make changes on the hour mark and go hell for leather, or I wait until extra time and have enough time to get the situation sorted out. We weren’t even really at risk late on in the game.

“Now we have to focus on the Scudetto and taking that home. We have to be stronger than these things and let them fortify us.”

Allegri was asked about the 4-3-3 formation he used at the Bernabeu this evening.

“The best system depends on the match and various situations. Dybala was missing and at times he can play down the right.”

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