Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson revealed Friday that he was not surprised by UEFA's decision to hit England soccer star Wayne Rooney with a three-match suspension for his dismissal against Montenegro last week.
Rooney was sent off in the second half of the clash in Podgorica following a foul on Miodrag Dzudovic, as England picked up a 2-2 draw to secure qualification for Euro 2012.
He had to wait until Thursday to discover his punishment, as UEFA mulled over whether to ban him for one, two or three matches.
The Football Association had been hoping that UEFA would show leniency towards Rooney despite the regulations confirming a three-match suspension would be the appropriate punishment.
During his weekly press briefing ahead of Saturday's Premier League match against Liverpool, Ferguson said he would not answer any questions relating to his star forward.
However, Ferguson, who has still not seen the incident in Montenegro, later broke his silence to declare that UEFA's verdict came as no surprise.
"I expected a three-match ban, I must admit," he told MUTV. "Sending-offs usually carry that and I didn't think there was going to be any leniency towards England.
"He is going to miss the group games for England, which is a blow for him and England."
