The referee is a human being, states Zola

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola urged compassion for young referee Stuart Atwell, who has drawn plenty of criticism following his performance during Wigan’s 1-0 home loss to West Ham.

“I told the referee I didn’t think it was a reckless challenge, Carlton didn’t even look at the defender – he just went for the ball,” Zola told Sky Sports News.

“He didn’t want to cause any damage and it (the sending off) was too much. The referee is a human being and they make mistakes and we are here to support them”.