RSL
MINNEAPOLIS — Real Salt Lake’s Coach says officials can drain his bank account with fines, but he’s frustrated with what’s going on during games, including his ejection this weekend.
After a 3-2 loss to Minnesota United on Saturday night, in which Mike Petke was tossed from the field in the 53rd minute, he went off on the officiating during the game.
He said he decided to talk about it to provide greater transparency.
“The only thing I get from MLS is, ‘Stop criticizing the referees,'” Petke said. “I want to know where the referees are right now. Why can’t we ask the referee a question? Why can’t we do that? Why can’t we ask, ‘Why didn’t you go to VAR? Why didn’t you call that? Why, when the studs are coming up, did you just give a yellow card?’ That would make them more human.
“To MLS, it would be better for this league — for the fans, for the owners, for the coaches, for the players — to hear from them and hear their side of the story. Perhaps then we say, ‘OK, I see it.’ Maybe it happened a little fast. Maybe the guy in the booth, wherever the hell he is, watching this — you know, maybe he was watching ‘The Simpsons’ at the same time. I don’t know. I have no idea, but it’s not good enough to me.”
Last year Petke was fined $3,000 for criticizing the refereeing after a 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City.
He said he believed he would be fined again after Saturday.
“And I’ll take the fine. Jeff Agoos, fine me. Fine me. I don’t care anymore. You know, no other coach in this league steps up a little more than they should. I’m going to. Drain my bank account.”
He later apologized, in part:
You can watch the whole two-minute video here, or below.