UEFA chief offers Fletcher final hope

UEFA general secretary David Taylor has revealed an avenue of appeal could be open to Manchester United over the red card which has dashed Darren Fletcher’s Champions League final hopes.

The Scotland international was dismissed late on in Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final win over Arsenal for a professional foul on Cesc Fabregas.

Replays showed Fletcher had made contact with the ball but UEFA confirmed United do not have the right to appeal against the referee’s decision.

As things stand Fletcher will sit out the final against Barcelona in Rome later this month but Taylor has hinted at a reprieve for the combative midfielder.

“I have spoken with Alex Ferguson personally on this – as fate would have it we shared a car after the match. We were rather thrown together but had an interesting discussion,” Taylor said.

“He was very fair about the referee and what had happened but equally he was very disappointed for Darren, as are we all. I tried to give Alex as much advice as I could with regards the procedure in these circumstances.

“There is no formal process. But if the club want to write to us with information – such as video evidence – explaining why they think this is a harsh punishment then they can do that.

“The likelihood is that we’d then refer the matter to our disciplinary body.

“They would then look to see if there were any special circumstances to justify any departure from established procedures.

“I must stress there is normally no way these matters can be overturned.”

Fletcher’s hopes could hang referee Roberto Rosetti admitting to his apparent error in his match report, but Taylor concedes such an admission may not be enough to reverse the red card for the Scot, whose United face Manchester City in the Manchester derby on Sunday.

“The ref may take the view a mistake has been made and include that in his report but that wouldn’t be in any way decisive,” he said.

“It’s an entirely discretionary thing, whether or not the committee feels there is reason to intervene.

“Strictly speaking there’s no appeal process but representation can be made and looked at.”

Meanwhile Arsenal defender Gael Clichy has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a back injury, the club have confirmed.

The French full-back sustained the back problem during the Gunners’ Champions League quarter-final first leg at Villarreal on April 7.

Now, following the club’s exit from the Champions League against Manchester United, Clichy’s season has officially been concluded and he will return for pre-season training in July.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: “It is finished [for Gael].

“We would have put a little pressure on the recovery period had we gone to the Champions League final. But now we will not take a gamble.”