Vítor Pereira has reacted with frustration following Nottingham Forest’s controversial defeat to Manchester United, which ended Forest’s unbeaten Premier League run, Softfootball reports.
Speaking during his post-match press conference shared on the club’s official YouTube channel, Pereira expressed disappointment over a key handball decision that influenced the outcome of the match.
The Forest manager admitted he had hoped the incident would eventually lead to the decision being overturned, but instead watched his side lose in controversial circumstances.
Pereira sarcastically joked that he may need to go back to school to understand the rules, claiming that football regulations appear to change constantly:
It was a pity because it was a decision that decide the game. My opinion when I look for the image, I was completely convincing that they will cancel the goal but in the end, in this moment we don’t know the rules. We need to go to the school to learn again, to learn the rules because they change the rules. I don’t know what happens in this moment but the fouls inside the box about the hand ball and I think we need to have a meeting with everybody to understand when it’s handball or not, when it’s a blockage with a foul or not because if not the image that we send for the world is an image that we don’t know exactly the rules.
Despite his frustration, the Portuguese coach acknowledged that the referee’s decision had to be respected, even though he made it clear that he did not fully agree with the call:
I must accept the decision because it was the decision of the referee but in the end, I don’t really agree because I don’t agree with this decision.
Watch the video below:
His comments have already sparked debate among supporters and analysts regarding consistency in handball interpretations across the Premier League.
The defeat marked the end of Nottingham Forest’s strong unbeaten streak and left frustration among fans after what had been another competitive performance from the side.
Michael Carrick, however, reacted positively after Manchester United secured the dramatic 3-2 victory that confirmed a third-place finish. Carrick described the afternoon as a good way to complete the season, praising his players for finishing the campaign strongly and showing the mentality required to compete at the highest level.
The Manchester United interim manager also hinted that clarity regarding his future at Old Trafford would arrive soon, as speculation continues over whether he could remain in charge permanently after a strong run of results.
