The Germany midfielder plays down the infamous incident.
Quoted by BBC, Emre Can has insisted that he harbours no resentment toward Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini following an off-the-ball incident in Liverpool’s 2-0 Europa League win on Thursday.
The towering Belgian – who was already booked – appeared to throw his elbow into Can’s face in the dying seconds of last night’s first-leg last-16 win for the Reds.
It was not seen by any of the officials but Fellaini could find himself slapped with a retrospective ban from UEFA if they investigate the incident, according to The Independent.
“Fellaini is a fair sportsman. He touched my throat with his elbow but it is OK,” Can is quoted as saying by BBC Sport. “It was just a small fight. It was not a boxing ring punch.”
Fellaini has a history of violent off-the-ball incidents and he was hit with a three-match domestic ban in December 2012 for headbutting Ryan Shawcross when he was at Everton.
It is also not his first offence against a Liverpool player. On international duty in 2014, the midfielder gave Welshman Joe Allen a bloody nose in a Euro 2016 qualifier – again with the use of an elbow.
Fellaini had cut a frustrating figure for much of last night’s defeat at Anfield, in which Daniel Sturridge and Roberto Firmino scored the goals to help Liverpool place one foot in the quarter-finals.
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