Luiz says smile after Rafael red was for United fans calling him Sideshow Bob

David Luiz has told his Chelsea team-mates that his smile after hitting the deck at Old Trafford was directed at the Manchester United fans who had been calling him Sideshow Bob.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson accused Luiz of acting like ‘a dying swan’ to get home defender Rafael sent off as Chelsea snatched a 1-0 victory on Sunday.

Ferguson was furious with Luiz, who elbowed Rafael in the chest in the 89th minute and then rolled around when his fellow Brazilian retaliated by lashing out with his right leg.

                              

Spot the difference: David Luiz has been compared to Sideshow Bob since arriving in England

                             

Pain: Luiz at first appears in pain following Rafael's hack (top)... but then ends up grinning (below)

The Blues defender, who has been compared to Sideshow Bob - a character in The Simpsons with similar hair - by fans of rival teams since arriving in England, was seen laughing as he lay at the feet of referee’s assistant Sian Massey when Howard Webb showed Rafael a straight red card.

The former Benfica star has claimed he could hear the home fans calling him by his cartoon nickname and was also aware of some more colourful language used to insult him.

Ferguson is unlikely to be impressed by Luiz's reasons for grinning.

The Scot said after the game: ‘He retaliates but (David Luiz) quite clearly elbows him twice then rolls about like a dying swan and that convinces the referee. He was smiling. It’s bad. What kind of professional is that?

‘The ref has been bought by the fact Luiz is rolling about. When a player retaliates he gets punished the most. Luiz rolled about. You see that with European, foreign and South American players. Rafael was rash, he’s young and should know better but retaliation never works. I wouldn’t say it was violent conduct. 

'The referee hasn’t even seen it but he has gone with the fact that Luiz has rolled about on the floor and that has convinced him it was a red card'.

                    

Rafael’s sending-off was the third of his Old Trafford career and the first for a United player in the Premier League this season