Olivier Giroud has claimed Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai was “tricked” into showing him the red card.
Arsenal striker Giroud is now facing a one game ban after his dismissal following a bust-up with Paris Saint Germain defender Marquinhos and midfielder Marco Verratti who was also sent off.
But Giroud, who got his marching orders for a second yellow card, has pleaded his innocence and is fuming at the red card after claiming he did nothing wrong.
Giroud said: “I'd already been booked so didn't want to make trouble. I made a small challenge on Verratti but he threw himself onto the ground.
“I didn't understand, so I asked him, "what are you doing?", then he got up quickly and Marquinhos pushed me from behind.
“I don't know how Verratti fell over a second time. I didn't go looking for trouble so it's frustrating.
"I think that the referee was tricked. Verratti was also on a yellow, so I was surprised by his behaviour.”
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger revealed he spoke to both players after the incident and the pair proclaimed their innocence.
"The ball was on the other side, I did not see what happened," Wenger said. "I think the first yellow card [for Giroud] was very harsh already, it wasn’t a foul.
"The second, he tells me he has done nothing at all and Olivier is honest so I believe him.
"And Verratti told me as well that he has done nothing, so I said look, ‘go together to see the referee and tell him you did nothing’."
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