Rennes coach Bruno Genesio says the ref had a say in their Europa Conference League defeat to Leicester City.
Genesio watched his team win 2-1 at Roazhon Park but lose 3-2 on aggregate with City earning a place in the last eight of the Europa Conference League. The game ended in controversy with a handball appeal in the final seconds of the game when a free-kick was nodded down and landed on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's arm.
It was one of a number of penalty decisions that Genesio felt Rennes could have been given. There was a moment in the first leg where the ball struck Caglar Soyuncu on the hand in the box, while there were more appeals during the second leg as well as City had to deal with a bombardment from the French side.
“The first feeling is disappointment," Genesio said in a press conference. “Unfortunately, we lacked a little bit of maturity. We lacked efficiency because we had the chances to score the third goal and take them into extra-time.
“And we missed the VAR. In the two matches, Rennes suffered at least one penalty, which would have changed a lot of things. When we organise a European competition, we have to organise it under the same conditions as the other European competitions, otherwise, it is useless, it is better not to do it.
“I don't want to condemn the referee, even if I think that at one point, it was going a little too much in the same direction for it to be just chance. We have several contrary decisions, at least three in the two matches. Perhaps Rennes are a less attractive club for a quarter-final than Leicester."
