BRENDAN Rodgers is still fuming over Daizen Maeda’s red card against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night.

The winger went in for a challenge and caught the player. It was clearly not a red card and had the referee not been sent to the monitor to check it, no one would be discussing the challenge.

Brendan Rodgers is still of the belief that it was never a sending-off. In fact, the manager said that if he had gone in with the intent to make a dangerous challenge, he wouldn’t have walked away with his knee injury.

But, what frustrated the manager more was the reaction of the Atleti player, who jumped up the second the referee had given the red card. It was clearly the reaction of the Atletico Madrid players and staff that saw Maeda receive his marching orders.

Speaking to the Daily Record, Brendan Rodgers expressed his frustration and called out the Atleti player, saying:

“If he was in stronger in the challenge he probably wouldn’t have had the injury. The clash of feet has just opened up the knee ligament. It’s a big shame for us because he has been brilliant for me since I came here.

“His attitude and mentality is superb. He initials the pressure for us. Anyone who knows football could see it wasn’t a red, it was just a clash of feet. The irony was as soon as the red card came out their player was miraculously back off the floor. It’s a real shame because he’s been like a machine for us.”