Platini, racism, the referee: Uefa to investigate after Malaga play blame game following incredible Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund
Two injury time goals saw the German side progress
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Your support makes all the difference.Borussia Dortmund pulled off a great escape last night of the like the Champions League has not seen since Manchester United scored two late goals in the 1999 final against Bayern Munich.
However, the side on the losing end have been unable to appreciate the drama of last night's game at Signal Iduna Park and instead have been casting blame on almost everyone but their own defenders.
After a goalless first leg in Spain, the second leg came to life when Malaga took the lead in Dortmund. Despite an equaliser from the home side, the favoured Germans appeared to be heading for the European exit after a late goal from the visitors. But two goals in injury time, first from Marco Reus and then Felipe Santana ensured Jurgen Klopp's side will be in the hat when the draw is made for the semi-finals.
While Dortmund will be praising their luck this morning, Malaga have been casting aspersions that there may have been more to it than that.
Replays show that a number of Dortmund players were in offside positions in the build-up to the winning goal, leading the usually restrained Malaga manager Manuel Pellegrini to hint at a conspiracy.
"On this occasion we could not, or they did not want us to, get through," Pellegrini told a news conference.
"After we went 2-1 ahead there was no refereeing," the Chilean added.
"They forced us back with elbows and shoves. There were two sendings off that were not given, a double offside in the third goal which should not have counted.
"They said this was the best team in Europe and by the end they were hoofing long balls forward. We are leaving with very bitter feelings."
Winger Joaquin, who put Malaga ahead in the 25th minute, and club owner Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani, a member of the Qatar royal family, were more outspoken.
In a series of tweets on his official Twitter feed soon after the final whistle, Al Thani blamed the defeat on "racism" and called on governing body Uefa to launch an inquiry.
Joaquin suggested Uefa president Michel Platini may have had something to do with the defeat.
Platini is deeply unpopular in Malaga after Uefa slapped a ban on the club from competing in continental competition from next season due to delays in payments to creditors.
"We suspect Platini and all the rest of them who are involved," Joaquin told Spanish radio.
"Because we are Malaga and not Real Madrid it's easier to do this to us," he added.
Uefa general secretary Gianni Infantino this afternoon said the comments would now be looked at by the governing body.
He said: "It will now be analysed by our disciplinary inspectors, they will act if they have to act depending on what has been said.
"I can understand when you lose a match in the 93rd minute the emotions come up and maybe you say things that you don't really think and you really don't want to say."
Whatever conclusions are drawn about Tuesday's game, Malaga outperformed on their first foray into Europe's elite club competition but now need to put their disappointment behind them and focus on qualifying again for next season.
They have appealed the Uefa ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and are currently sixth in La Liga, four points behind Real Sociedad who occupy Spain's fourth Champions League qualification berth.
"We all made a super-human effort and going out of the competition because of a mistake like that is painful," forward Roque Santa Cruz told Spanish television.
"We were four minutes away from semi-finals and it was snatched away from us," the Paraguayan added.
"Now we have to lift our spirits and tackle the rest of the season in the best possible way."
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