LVG: Di Maria has ‘no excuses’ for red card

Manchester United F.C. manager Louis van Gaal has insisted winger Angel Di Maria has ‘no excuses’ after being sent off for grabbing referee Michael Oliver’s shirt during the Red Devils’ 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Arsenal at Old Trafford on Monday evening.

The Argentina international, who joined United from Real Madrid for a British-record fee of £59.7 million last summer, was sent off in the 77th-minute after reacting wildly to being yellow-carded for simulation.

“In Spain he knows that he doesn’t touch the referee, but that is also in his emotion,” said Van Gaal. “I’ve already spoken with him, he knows my opinion but also I have to see on the video.

“I think he’s touched the referee and that’s forbidden in every country, so he has no excuses.”

The defeat to Arsenal means United will have to wait until next season for their first title under Van Gaal, but the club have nobody but themselves to blame, according to the Dutch supremo.

LVG added: “I said in advance that [a top-four English Premier League finish] is a priority but as a manager, and as a player and club, you want to win titles and now we cannot win a title.

“I’ve said in the dressing room we gave [the game] away by ourselves and that is the biggest disappointment. In the second half, we had the first chance also then we gave it away again. We don’t lose from the opponent, we lost from ourselves and it was very disappointing. You play this match to win; to beat the opponent, we wanted to be in the semifinal.”

Inter offer Toulalan three-year contract

FC Internazionale Milano have offered AS Monaco midfielder Jeremy Toulalan a three-year deal worth around €2 million per season, according to Italian sports TV channel Rai Sport.

Toulalan, whose current contract at the Stade Louis II is set to expire at the end of the season, is available on a free transfer in the summer, and the Nerazzurri are believed to be leading the race for the 31-year-old’s signature.

Meanwhile, Premier League side Newcastle United have also been linked with the former Olympique Lyonnais star in recent weeks.

Internazionale are currently 10 points off the pace for UEFA Champions League qualification, but are scheduled to host Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg in a two-legged Europa League tie later this month.

Even if Roberto Mancini’s side do not finish in the top-three in the Serie A table, they can still claim a place in next season’s Champions League by winning the aforementioned Europa League.

Now then, will Inter Milan be playing in the UCL in 2015/16?