Sérgio Conceição reacts to referee's exclusion: "Too late now..."

Days after Al Ittihad's 1-0 defeat to Japan's Machida, which saw the Saudi team eliminated from the Asian Champions League in the quarter-finals, Sérgio Conceição has reacted to the exclusion of Chinese referee Ma Ning from the competition due to errors made in that match.

Via an Instagram story, the Portuguese coach of the Jeddah-based club commented on the news of the referee's suspension, stating: "Too late now... Disgraceful!"

Conceição had previously heavily criticized the officiating team led by Ma Ning, even going so far as to suggest they "didn't allow" Al Ittihad to win, in a match where Danilo Pereira had a goal disallowed.