Birmingham City: The jibe which made Franck Queudrue lose his temper

Mar 23 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

FRANCK Queudrue admitted he saw ‘red a little bit too much’ during his flare-up with Alan Lee.

The Norwich City striker elbowed Queudrue in a flashpoint incident during Saturday’s 1-1 draw.

Lee sought retribution for a strong tackle moments earlier by Liam Ridgewell that went unpunished and Queudrue got it in the neck – or, to be precise, the ear.

Lee escaped with a yellow card, but it was his comment to Queudrue after he had got back up from the deck that caused the left-back to lose it.

Lee told Queudrue to ‘something [my word] off back to France’.

Queudrue, normally a mild-mannered soul, took great exception to the jibe, reared up and had to be restrained by his team-mates.

“The player swings his arm, he swings his arm – it’s not a problem,” shrugged Queudrue

“He caught me. It was the referee’s decision and I was a bit upset but, you know, it happens.

“He did say something, but it was between us.”

Sebastian Larsson, among others, stepped in to stop Queudrue getting at Lee.

“I think I saw red a little bit too much but partners are there for you, you know,” said Queudrue.

“The thing is, the players play and the referee has to make the decisions.

“Maybe the angle the referee had he couldn’t see it, like you can on TV when you see the replay.

“He might not have felt it was serious. Probably. He only caught my ear, so, who knows?”