Sheffield Wednesday boss Steve Bruce blasts ‘ridiculous’ Fernando Forestieri sending off against Rotherham United

Sheffield Wednesday manager Steve Bruce has criticised referee Daniel England for sending off Fernando Forestieri as the Owls forward celebrated a last-gasp equaliser against Rotherham United.
Owls Fernando Forestieri. Pic Steve Ellis.Owls Fernando Forestieri. Pic Steve Ellis.
Owls Fernando Forestieri. Pic Steve Ellis.

Forestieri received a second yellow card for jumping into the away end and celebrating with Wednesdayites following Dominic Iorfa’s 100th minute goal.

He will now miss Wednesday’s next match against Swansea next weekend. 

Owls Fernando Forestieri. Pic Steve Ellis.Owls Fernando Forestieri. Pic Steve Ellis.
Owls Fernando Forestieri. Pic Steve Ellis.
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Speaking to the Star after the match, Bruce said: “I’m not sure what he’s done after it with Forestieri. I think it’s an overreaction really.

“You all know me and I’ve been in the game a long, long time and I don’t want anybody to be sent off but if that’s not a red card on Forestieri on the half way line then I don’t know what is.

“Then just to pick on Forestieri because he is alone and celebrating with the supporters, he could have sent off my whole team.

“The 17 of them were in the supporters end and I think that’s what football supporters want to see – that it means something to them.”

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Forestieri had earlier been on the receiving end of a strong tackle from Rotherham’s Michael Ihiekwe, who only received a yellow card for the challenge.

Bruce said: “At least if we haven’t played well we have got something out of the game and all of a sudden now we’ve got to face Forestieri not playing next week for what? It’s totally ridiculous.

“He’s to be big enough to take that and we’ve seen glimpses of Forestieri which is good, which is important to me.

“All of a sudden now we won’t be able to have him next week over what? Celebrating with the supporters, what’s that all about when someone has just tried to break him in half on the half way line. It doesn’t make sense to me.”

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Wednesday went ahead thanks to Forestieri’s first half finish, before being pegged back just one minute later after Jon Taylor’s curled strike. 

Rotherham then went ahead on 74 minutes through Richie Towell, before Iorfa found a way to poke the ball beyond Rodak in a goal mouth scramble deep into eight minutes of added time.