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Callum McManaman: Massadio Haidara calls for protection

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments495

Callum McManaman's tackle on Massadio Haidara

Newcastle's Massadio Haidara has called the Football Association's decision not to punish Wigan forward Callum McManaman "ridiculous".

Haidara was taken off on a stretcher following a challenge from McManaman which escaped punishment during the match and then again retrospectively.

But Haidara said the FA need to do more to protect players.

He said: "He could have ended my career and ruined my whole life and he will play again before me. Ridiculous."

Haidara, who escaped serious injury, told French newspaper Le Parisien:external-link "You must protect players.

"This type of tackle cannot be condoned in football. You have to take all measures to ban these sorts of things from the game. It spoils the match. The authorities must take action."

The FA said it could not take action as its rules

But Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias described the FA's disciplinary process as "not fit for purpose" and Haidara admitted seeing the tackle go unpunished was difficult for him to accept.

McManaman got a slight touch on the ball before following through and catching the defender on the knee and thigh during Wigan's

Haidara, who joined from Nancy on a five-and-a-half-year deal in January, said the tackle left him in "excruciating pain" and thinking "he'd snapped my leg in two".

He added: "The ligaments in the knee are undamaged. It's a massive relief, I was very worried when it happened.

"I thought he'd broken my leg or smashed up my knee. The pain was unbearable, I couldn't bend my knee. It was really horrible."

McManaman tackle sparks angry fracas

Left-back Haidara, 20, admits he is still in "shock" over the tackle, which he calls the worst he has seen in football, adding: "It sends shivers down my spine when I think of it."

The Frenchman said he would be prepared to meet with McManaman in the future, if he wished to apologise, and said he hoped the 21-year-old has learned his lesson and will "think twice before making a tackle like that".

Meanwhile, Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has insisted McManaman, 21, should have been charged by the FA for his challenge. Despite the incident happening in a Premier League match, the Football Association is responsible for the disciplinary procedures.

Scudamore said this should have been treated as an "exceptional case", which gives the power to reassess some incidents, even if seen by officials.

"I don't think anybody in the Premier League, perhaps bar Wigan, would have complained had they decided this was exceptional," he said.

"That's where the Premier League is on this, I don't think the rules need changing, I don't think the line needs moving.

"If they have the ability to deal with an exceptional incident, it looked to most of us that was an exceptional incident."

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495 comments

  • Comment posted by RLTIOW, at 14:14 21 Mar 2013

    And now we wait for Haidara to be charged over his comments.
    Clearly, if this tackle cannot be punished when the referee says he should have sent him off then the rules need changing. What is rescinding a Red Card if it is not re-refereeing?

  • Comment posted by SighingTheSeasonAway, at 14:16 21 Mar 2013

    The fact that MacManaman, as it appears from these quotes, has not even contacted the player to apologise or even check on his condition says a lot to me about the 'type of player' he actually is.

  • Comment posted by User0901047900, at 14:13 21 Mar 2013

    If "rules" are there to protect the integrity of the game, surely the "rules" agreed by all clubs & the FA are also meant to protect the players within the game.

    This has to be one of the most unjustified decisions the FA will ever make. I don't blame the officials as if they don't see it, they don't see it. A bunch of pen-pushers ruining the game yet again.

  • Comment posted by User0645512186, at 14:13 21 Mar 2013

    It is absolutely absurd that, in an age where the actions of almost every player is covered for a full 90 minutes, that retrospective action cannot be taken due to an incompetent refereeing performance.

    Almost as absurd as the FA's steadfast backing of rules that are clearly not fit for purpose.

  • Comment posted by BaggiosPonytail, at 14:28 21 Mar 2013

    It seems to be a case of sticking to the rules when the rules are, quite frankly, a joke.

    Can anyone explain why a red card can be rescinded when the referee has seen the incident (clearly in order to give a red card in the first place) but it can't work the other way?

  • Comment posted by User0471589893, at 14:15 21 Mar 2013

    So, the FA don't want to re-ref things then? I suppose rescinding reds doesn't count as re-reffing then. The FA can't have it both ways, McMannaman needs a ban and the rules must be changed. The guys career could've been ended

  • Comment posted by JTHL, at 14:13 21 Mar 2013

    Rule is ridiculous.

    Poor refereeing is being promoted here. where a potentially career ending tackle goes in and someone is taken to hospital and an official hasn't seen it properly, retrospective 're-refereeing' is 100% necessary to protect players

  • Comment posted by dont, at 14:12 21 Mar 2013

    I agree with the aggrieved.

    No-one wants to see those kind of risks taken in a tackle.

    The only way to deter it is through punishment.

  • Comment posted by Le Grand Dommage, at 14:39 21 Mar 2013

    Once again, Football shows that despite its wealth, it pales in comparison to Rugby's governance. No forward-thinking, no sense of reason, just toothlessness and a lack of leadership.

    The FA, by excusing their decision due to the pre-season consultations with various bodies that allowed this tackle to go unpunished on a technicality, just highlight their inflexibility and lack of proper control.

  • Comment posted by User0789981808, at 15:29 21 Mar 2013

    Should have been banned for at least 3 games - that's the worst tackle I've seen for years - and as an Arsenal supporter (Sunderland vs Diaby; Birmingham vs Eduardo, and Stoke Rugby Club vs Ramsey), we know what those are like to watch. I have full sympathy for the player and Newcastle. Tackling is an art and that assault was a disgrace to the game!

  • Comment posted by davec85, at 14:15 21 Mar 2013

    I don't understand why instances like this cannot be "re-refereed" regardless of whether an official saw it or not. As Scudamore says, this was quite an exceptional incident. The "re-refereeing" seems to work fine with Rugby - look at O'Driscoll: gets sin binned in the match but then receives a further 3 week ban because they decide such an offence warranted further punishment. Use your heads, FA.

  • Comment posted by davidm, at 14:57 21 Mar 2013

    Carver was totally out of order. His vicious attack could have ruined sweet little Callum's career. It was wonderful when the gentle giant of a Wigan coach came and pushed the brute Carver away for talking so recklessly to sweet little Callum about his 'perfect visionary through ball that just happened to tap the Newcastle player in the way on the toe' (D Whelan). Let's hope the FA come down hard

  • Comment posted by georgiesthebest7, at 15:04 21 Mar 2013

    The tackle itself was clearly a 'rush of blood'.. type thing, by a young lad as nervous as hell on his first team debut! However it was also reckless and should be punished and Whelan and Martinez are not doing the lad any favours in the long run by their comments. Support your own player by explaining his lack of experience, but also admit when he got it so badly wrong!

  • Comment posted by Rob, at 14:22 21 Mar 2013

    Three words to solve this - Video Replay Technology. Allow refs to view replays at the side of the pitch for penalties, goal line situations, and red cards. It words beautifully in other sports but the FA, UEFA and FIFA are all run by old men who haven't heard of the internet yet so it's not going to happen.

  • Comment posted by Jimbo, at 14:28 21 Mar 2013

    McManaman cannot be deemed to be a good, professional footballer if that is how he behaves, as he has seriously hurt players more than once already.

    Martinez should have condemned it, I think a lot less of him now.

    Whelan directly contradicted himself at least twice in his "defence" of the assault, and reference to his career-ending injury. That means that at some point he has lied.

    Wigan down.

  • Comment posted by User0221484346, at 15:23 21 Mar 2013

    I've looked at the tackle time and time again and no matter which way you look at it, it's horrific, potentially career-ending, and worse, crippling.

    The reports I've heard only say that one of the officials "saw" it. Does this mean it's in a ref's report somewhere, or are we talking about verbal evidence?

  • Comment posted by User0022356625, at 14:14 21 Mar 2013

    Absolutely correct - a cop-out by the FA.

    The rule seems to be being interpreted to say that if any of the officials has any view of an incident, irrespective of whether it's a complete view or not, then the incident is closed. So if they catch sight of a player's ankle (but nothing else) then the FA can't (or won't) do anything about it.

    Bonkers!

  • Comment posted by baribus, at 16:27 21 Mar 2013

    Refusal to punish this tackle is a shameful example of the FA taking what they felt was the safe option rather than providing justice for Haidara. Tackling someone with your foot that high with such momentum is unacceptable and just because an official saw that a tackle occurred doesnt mean he had an angle to see the tackle properly. He clearly didnt really see the tackle or hed have been sent off

  • Comment posted by Stuart, at 14:37 21 Mar 2013

    Such an injustice especially when compared to the Nani sending off.

    Its quite pathetic from the FA and the officials should hang their head in shame.

    Put yourself in the shoes of someone playing over the weekend in the amateur game and I predict many brawls will being with anything similar to the McManaman tackle.

    This is why Football is turning into a joke!

  • Comment posted by Ewok63, at 14:44 21 Mar 2013

    To 1. Foolio and all the other clowns on this HYS

    Football doesnt not have "Rules". It has laws and laws are open to interpretation. And centre to all decisions is "...In the opinion of the referee...."

    Shocking tackle that this referee didnt see it as a foul. The FA should be looking at this ref

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