Bazza & MK#11 - the referee did all that he was expected to do and once he had blown his whistle for the initial foul there was no way he could ever change his mind. What everyone is upset about is not that Lehmann was sent off, but that by sending Lehmann off the referee (who was clearly out of his depth) ended the match as the spectacle everybody had waited all year too see.
There is no disputing the fact that Lehmann deserved his red-card, but, if the referee had waited a fraction of a moment longer (as most top-class referees do) to see if there was an advantage to Barcelona, he would have seen Giuly slot home - Lehmann would no longer have completely prevented a clear goal-scoring chance (albeit by default), the goal would have been the punishment for Arsenal and the game could have continued in the attacking vein in which it started.
Personally, I felt a little bit shortchanged by the referee's decision as the Champions League Final is second only to the World Cup Final as a showpiece for the sport... and I neither shelled out for a flight/hotel/ticket as many thousands did do nor do I support either of the teams involved.
But don't just take my word for it
