Cuneyt Cakir reportedly stands by Nani red card call: 'The world will realise the truth'

The Turkish referee sent off the Manchester United midfielder during Real Madrid's Champions League triumph

Cuneyt Cakir, the Turkish referee who controversially sent off Nani during Manchester United's Champions League exit to Real Madrid, has been quoted as standing by his call.

Cakir's decision to send off the Portugal international after 56 minutes, which some have argued ended Manchester United's dreams of the treble, caused widespread debate this week.

Manchester United were leading the tie 2-1 on aggregate at the time of the decision, but would eventually lose 3-2 to Jose Mourinho's team. It was a decision that Alex Ferguson said today made it "hard to keep your faith" in football.

However, Cakir was quoted by AS as standing by the call.

Cakir reportedly told Spanish newspaper: "I feel good and I do not doubt my decisions. Nani's red was correct. The world will realise the truth over time."

Yet there is uncertainty whether Cakir actually spoke to the press with the Turkish FA denying he has given an interview.

A statement on the Turkish FA's website said: "Our referee Cuneyt Cakir has not given any interviews to journalists because of the [UEFA] rules, and also does not have any accounts on Facebook, twitter, etc."

The referee, who has been backed by Uefa, has been the subject of close scrutiny ever since Tuesday's match. He remains on Uefa's list to referee further Champions League games this season.