Seething former Everton boss Howard Kendall has blasted UEFA officials, and accused them of running scared of the G14 after Barcelona controversially edged past the blues in a pulsating clash at Goodison last Wednesday night. Kendall says referee Mark Halsey was ordeunder G14 orders to make sure Barca emerged victorious, and also says UEFA’s fixture planners cost the club hundreds of thousands of pounds by ensuring Wales were playing at home on the night the Blues faced Barca.
“The referee was the difference between us winning and losing” said the most successful manager in blues’ history. “The game was finely balanced and I felt we were getting on top, when out of nowhere he gives them a penalty. That turned the game, and there was no way back for us. But then we can’t have a G-14 club losing to Everton, can we?”
Kendall also claimed the disappointing attendance was a direct result of a cunning UEFA plan to appease members of the G14. “What kind of idiot arranges for Wales to be playing at home the same night as us? The fans had a tough choice to make, do they watch their national side playing San Marino, or make the trek to Merseyside to watch Everton against Barca? You can’t blame them for not travelling to Goodison when there was a match on their own doorstep. I don’t blame them, I blame Liverpool. It’s a G14 conspiracy.”
A furious Kendall then rounded on Barcelona, claiming their players were running scared and that was the reason that none of their big names bothered to show up for the Goodison clash. “It was disappointing that the likes of Laudrup, Luis Enrique and Nadal didn’t show, but I can’t say I’m surprised. They say it’s because they didn’t want face a bunch of nobodies in front of a tiny crowd, but I’m not buying that. These players have reputations to protect, and I hear Laudrup was bricking it at the idea of facing Neil Pointon. Nadal heard that Brett Angell might be playing, and he didn’t fancy it. I’m not sure why Enrique didn’t come over, but I’m sure somehow Liverpool are involved. They always are.”