Spurs keeper Paul Robinson was furious at the controversial Seville penalty that skipper Robbie Keane branded 'a disgrace' and manager Martin Jol said after the 2-1 UEFA Cup defeat in Spain: "Even sitting 100 yards away I would have made a different decision. That changed the whole game."
Keane had given the visitors the lead after just two minutes, but former Spurs striker Fredi Kanoute levelled from the spot before Alexander Kerzhakov scored what proved to be the winner ten minutes before the break.
Spurs keeper Robinson, however, couldn't believe he was penalised for bringing down Claro Adriano Correia when he appeared to have taken the ball cleanly from the Sevilla player. The England stopper said: "I got two hands on the ball. The ref said I got the ball and then the man - surely a fair challenge? For them to get back into the game like that was disappointing."
Keane added: "It was nice to score an early goal, and we started well. But the penalty - I have to choose my words carefully - it was a disgrace. To go one up and get a decision like that against you, we're devastated.m But we'll take that back to White Hart Lane and look forward to the game there. We can always score goals there so, it's not over. We are very much in this game."
Spurs bos Jol agreed and added: "We've got a good chance. It's 50-50. They've got some very good players, three or four outstanding players, but I feel the same applies for us. Every time when we pressurised them we created something, so that was good to see. I still feel that we have a chance in the second leg.
"Before the game you could say you would have taken the 2-1, but on the other hand I feel disappointed about the penalty decision and a bit disappointed that we could not convert one of our chances afterwards."
Sevilla coach Juande Ramos insisted he did not have a clear enough view of the penalty incident to judge either way. "From the position where I was at the side of the pitch at eye-level it is very difficult to say," he said. "There were a lot of legs and arms in the way. I couldn't say for sure if it was a penalty."
Sadly, for the second night running, crowd trouble marred a European game involving English clubs. Following on from the frightening scenes in Rome, Spurs fans were involved in violent incidents both inside and outside the ground in Seville.
Riot police separated rival supporters outside the ground before kick-off and during the match, trouble erupted in the enclosure housing 4,000 travelling Spurs fans. Unconfirmed reports said seven Tottenham fans and one policeman had been taken to hospital. A UEFA spokesman said: "Any incidents of crowd trouble will be investigated."
Tottenham have already pledged their full support to the authorities. "Our initial reports suggest there was no fan-to-fan fighting at any stage of the proceedings," said a club statement. "As such we are seeking explanations as to why the police reacted in the way they did with our fans.
"Tottenham supporters have enjoyed an exemplary reputation across Europe this season which is why tonight's events are unprecedented. We will be co-operating fully with UEFA, the British Embassy and the Spanish authorities to understand why this has happened."
Manchester United have asked supporters who travelled to Rome for Wednesday's Champions' League match at the Olympic Stadium against Roma to provide evidence so that a dossier on the shocking incidents on the terraces can be compiled.
In welcoming news that the Government is examining the incident, United officials want to collect witness statements from fans to submit to the Home Office.
Yesterday, United categorically described the response by the police to the disturbance as shocking to everybody at Old Trafford and a severe over-reaction by local police who handed out indiscriminate beatings to United supporters.
The statement read: "The distressing scenes witnesssed in the Stadio Olimpico last night shock everyone at Old Trafford. In what the club view as a severe over-reaction, local police handed out indiscriminate beatings to United supporters.
"In these circumstances neither Manchester United nor AS Roma are able to call the police to account. As a result the club warmly welcomes the Government examination of the incident and will collect witness statements from fans to submit to the Home Office."
Supporters who attended the game and wish to provide evidence should either write to...Roma Inquiry, Manchester United FC, Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, Manchester M16 ORA or email roma@manutd.co.uk
But Rome's prefect of police Achille Serra responded by saying: "To criticise the police is a sport. The British like to do it. The police were forced to intervene between two sets of violent fans."
He added: "The stewards were literally swept aside and at that point the police were obliged to intervene. If people are criticising the security forces... I was at the stadium and I saw no negative behaviour. Certainly when you are facing facts of this nature you can not hand out flowers, that much is clear."
