Gracia: We will appeal Kabasele red

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Last Updated: 27/09/18 12:27am

Javi Gracia was left disappointed by the decision to show Christian Kabasele a red card

Javi Gracia was left disappointed by the decision to show Christian Kabasele a red card

Javi Gracia was left disappointed by the decision to show Christian Kabasele a red card

Watford will appeal Christian Kabasele’s red card which Javi Gracia said “he could not understand” in their defeat to Spurs.

Kabasele was sent off nine minutes from time in Watford’s penalty defeat after a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes, for a foul on Dele Alli inside his own box.

Lee Mason made the decision to dismiss the Belgian despite double jeopardy laws – updated in 2016 – effectively removing the “last man” rule for any genuine attempt to play the ball.

The red card, only five minutes after Kabasele came on as a substitute, left Watford boss Gracia perplexed.

He said: “it is hard to accept, first the penalty and then the red card – I don’t understand that decision. I don’t understand why the referee showed the red card.

“I am very proud of my players. I think we played very well and I would like to respect the referee’s decision and to support them because I know it is not easy.

“We tried to the end and competed against a very good Tottenham team, I am proud of my players. I would have liked my players to have the reward because in my opinion they have played very well.”

More than 23,000 fans made their way to Buckinghamshire after Spurs’ main makeshift home, Wembley Stadium, was ruled out as a possible venue for the game after hosting Anthony Joshua’s fight last Saturday.

Mauricio Pochettino said this week their enforced absence from their yet-to-be-finished new stadium would make the club stronger, and thanked the club’s fans for attending – with the hosts’ journey to Stadium MK considerably longer than their visitors’.

Pochettino added: “I want to say thank you to our fans, they need to be praised by myself on behalf of the players, the staff to come here and offer their support, they made a massive effort.

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino took his side to Stadium MK for the first time

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino took his side to Stadium MK for the first time

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino took his side to Stadium MK for the first time

“It is important for people to listen from myself, the manager of the club, to that gratitude and then say thank you very much.

“And then to say thank you to all the town of Milton Keynes and all the club, they welcomed us in a very good way. They helped us in every way.

“We’ll see what happens with the draw. The objective was to go to the next round, we are so happy of course, it was through penalties but it was fantastic to get the positive result.”

Goalscorer Alli has not returned to MK Dons as a player since he left for Tottenham in 2015, but with the quirk of his current club facing Watford at the ground they were using as a one-off temporary home, Pochettino capped his evening by naming him captain.


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Highlights of the Carabao Cup third-round tie between Tottenham and Watford
Highlights of the Carabao Cup third-round tie between Tottenham and Watford

Alli took the responsibility in his stride, scoring from the spot after Kabasele’s foul, and then coverting the winning penalty in the shootout.

Pochettino added: “I gave him the armband because it was so exciting for him to play here in his hometown.

“It is difficult for him to have another possibility to play here again in the future in his career and I wanted to provide him a very good feeling.

“I hope he appreciates my gesture a lot. He was inspired by the occasion, to play here he was so excited the energy in
the previous day was amazing.

“We can feel here the love that the people feel for him and that was fantastic for us. For him it is an experience he will remember for all of his life. To be Tottenham captain and score is a fantastic night for him.”

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