Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has praised Patrick Dorgu for his honesty after the Danish wing-back urged the referee to overturn a penalty decision during United’s 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad in the Europa League last-16 second leg.
Dorgu initially won a spot-kick after being fouled by Aritz Elustondo, but when he appeared to have won another after a challenge from Hamara Traore, he quickly signaled to the referee that the Sociedad player had actually won the ball. The decision was promptly reversed.
Amorim: “I Am Quite Proud of Him”
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Amorim applauded Dorgu’s sportsmanship but admitted he might have reacted differently in a tighter game:
“It is the right thing to do, so I am quite proud of him, but I cannot say if it was 0-0 or if we were losing, I would have had the same response.”
The performance was a major turnaround for Dorgu, who struggled in his last Old Trafford appearance against Ipswich, where he gifted a goal and was later sent off. Against Sociedad, however, he was one of United’s standout players, constantly driving forward and winning key fouls, including the one that saw Jon Aramburu sent off.
“He did well, he had a great performance. He is learning a lot in that position. He has the physicality,” Amorim added.
Sociedad Coach Criticizes Referee’s Performance
While United celebrated their quarter-final qualification, Real Sociedad’s Imanol Alguacil was left frustrated by referee Benoit Bastien’s decisions. The French official awarded two penalties to United and sent off Aramburu, while Sociedad only got their penalty for Matthijs de Ligt’s foul on Mikel Oyarzabal after a VAR review.
“We would have liked to have had a neutral referee. We did not deserve a refereeing display like this, neither did this tie, neither did this stadium,” Alguacil fumed.
What’s Next for United?
With Lyon awaiting in the quarter-finals, United will now turn their attention to the Premier League, where they face a struggling Leicester City side on Sunday. The Foxes, managed by former United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy, will be looking to upset Amorim’s men as they battle to stay in the top flight.
