Marcelino on Ronaldo red card: He said he didn't do anything wrong

Valencia Coach Marcelino accepted Juventus “were better than us” even down to 10 men and felt Cristiano Ronaldo’s pain at the red card.

The Champions League match seemed to be going Valencia’s way when Ronaldo saw red for an apparent tug on Jeison Murillo’s hair, but Miralem Pjanic converted two penalties for a 2-0 victory.

“We faced a great team, who were better than us,” Marcelino told reporters at the Mestalla.

“After the red, the game was even but our opponents took advantage of our mistakes.

“It’s clear that the penalties penalised us. The first penalty was a tough blow to take, just before half-time.

“We tried to recover and started the second half well, but the second penalty killed us off.

“A goal in the 45th minute and another in the 48th against such experts was very difficult to come back from.”

The red card will continue to cause controversy, as it was a decision made by the goal-line referee Marco Fritz, who told Felix Brych that it was a sending off offence.

“I didn’t see the Ronaldo incident. He was very affected by it and even cried because he said he didn’t do anything wrong.

“I think we have to compete at a higher level going forward, playing with more resolve and being more daring.”