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Markovic flick made be bleed from the mouth - Safari

Behrang Safari was criticised for going to ground after minimal contact © Getty Images

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Basel defender Behrang Safari has told Sportbladet he did not seek to get Lazar Markovic sent off during his side's 1-1 draw at Liverpool.

Basel progressed to the knockout phase of the Champions League after avoiding defeat at Anfield, but Liverpool's hopes of progress were hindered in the 61st minute when - still trailing Fabian Frei's first-half goal - they were reduced to 10 men after Markovic threw out his hand in the direction of Safari.

Replays were inconclusive as to the extent of the contact but Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers described Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers' decision to dismiss Markovic as "awful."

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However, Safari said: "I wouldn't have gone to ground if he hadn't hit me. I am not the kind of player who dives.

"It was a bit strange. I didn't realise that it was a red card at first. I thought the referee had blown his whistle because it was a head injury and I thought I was going to give the ball to the Liverpool players afterwards. But then I noticed that the Liverpool players were angry with me."

On whether there had been contact, he added: "Yes, yes, of course. I was bleeding from my mouth."

Luigi Ponte, the president of the Swiss Refereeing Federation (SVV), said in Basler Zeitung that he fully agreed with Kuipers' red card.

"It might have only been minimal contact, but to me it clearly was violent conduct," Ponte said.

He also backed the official's decision not to award a penalty when Basel goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik challenged Steven Gerrard in the area, calling the Dutchman's performance "sensational" and saying he would use footage of the match for future refereeing courses.

"He's one of the best referees in the world for me," he added.

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