McClaren and the Wolves' managing director Dieter Hoeness followed referee Wolfgang Stark down the tunnel at the end of the match, complaining about the quality of his refereeing and in particular the way he missed a blatant handball by Klaas Jan Huntelaar as he scored Schalke's equaliser.

"30,000 people in the stadium saw it, only the officials didn't," said the English coach afterwards.

"That is what made us react so angrily."

The Dutch striker admitted after the game that he had used his hand and that "normally, a foul would be given".

However, Stark and his team failed to spot the handball and even showed Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio a yellow card for protesting before giving a harsh red card to Wolfsburg's Ashkan Dejagah for a foul near the halfway line.

"It is incredible," added McClaren. "I am very disappointed and angry about the referee's decision.

"Even the red card against Dejagah was too severe if you ask me.

"But even if there is a lot going against us at the moment, if we carry on playing like we did today then we will win again."

Hoeness went even further in his criticism of the referee.

"I won't say too much, it is simply a scandal," he said.

"It is not very easy to talk with Mr Stark, he is very egocentric, or at least that is what he showed to be today.

"His decision was really astonishing."

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