The Basel player involved in the incident that ended with a red card for Liverpool’s Lazar Markovic in the Champions League game at Anfield on Tuesday night has hit back at suggestions he feigned injury to get the Serb sent off.
The Swiss side drew 1-1 to progress to the knockout round of the tournament at their opponents’ expense but after the game the Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers, calling the red card “a really disappointing decision by the referee”.
Basel’s Behrang Safari, however, said his conscience was clear. “I wouldn’t have gone to ground if he hadn’t hit me. I am not the kind of player who dives,” the Swedish international told Sportbladet.
“It was a bit strange, I didn’t realise that it was a red card at first. I thought the referee had blown his whistle because it was a head injury and I thought I was going to give the ball to the Liverpool players afterwards. But then I noticed that the Liverpool players were angry with me.”
When asked whether Markovic’s flailing arm had hit him, the Swedish international said: “Yes, yes of course. I was bleeding from my mouth.”
Basel now go into the Champions League draw on Monday while Liverpool are back playing on Thursdays in the Europa League. “To go through is huge,” said Safari. “It is not easy to come to Anfield and go through playing against Liverpool.”
