KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) captain Natxo Insa claimed that they were beaten by "14-man" Shandong Taishan in an AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) match yesterday.
The Chinese Super League team won 1-0 after scoring the winner through Brazilian Zeca in the 68th minute at the Jinan Olympic Sports Centre.
Insa, however, was unhappy with the performances of Australian referee Alireza Faghani and his assistants, Anton Shchetinin, Ashley Beecham and Adam Kersey.
In a cagey match, Faghani issued JDT four yellow cards and Shandong six yellow cards.
Insa could not hide his disappointment in the post-match interview when he was asked, "How do you feel after losing such an exciting game?"
He responded by saying sharply: "Exciting for whom? For the fans? For the referee? For us? For whom?
"JDT received several yellow cards in the first 30 minutes of play — that's not normal. We were playing against a team with 13, 14 players. That's the difference in this match."
On JDT's hopes in the ACLE after the defeat, Insa said: "We will keep fighting. As always, we'll prepare for the next match. However, we know it's sometimes tough to play in such conditions."
The away defeat has left JDT fifth in the 12-team league with seven points from two wins, one draw and two losses.
The Southern Tigers will next meet Thai side Buriram United at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Dec 3. Their last two ACLE matches are against Australia's Central Coast Mariners on Feb 11 and South Korea's Pohang Steelers on Feb 18.