Cardiff City boss criticises key decision but delivers this scathing verdict on Sunderland defeat.
Cardiff City boss Erol Bulut criticised the decision to award Sunderland a penalty in the opening exchanges of Friday’s game but admitted that he could have no complaints about the final result.
Sunderland were awarded a penalty when Jobe Bellingham drove into the box and was pushed by a Cardiff defender. Bellingham then went to ground as a second defender tried to close him down, and Bulut felt it was a soft decision. Adil Aouchiche converted the penalty, after which the Black Cats were dominant and doubled their advantage through Bellingham’s close-range finish later in the half.
“I don’t think it was a penalty,’ Bulut said.
“I think it is too easy to whistle. We watched it back on the Ipad and of course the referee can’t do this because there’s no VAR. The referee said there was a push but it is just a touch, and because the other defender then tries to block him, he then jumps over him. I think it was too easy for a penalty to be given.”
