UEFA 'angry' claim after PSG v Newcastle United controversy as action already taken
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
UEFA are said to be 'angry' with the decision that saw Paris Saint-Germain score a last-minute equaliser against Newcastle United in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
That's according to Magpies' legend Alan Shearer, who spoke with officials from the sporting governing body following the 1-1 draw at Parc des Princes. Kylian Mbappe's 98th-minute penalty cancelled out Alexander Isak's first-half opener to deny Newcastle a famous win.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdPSG's penalty was awarded under controversial circumstances after Ousmane Dembele's pass hit Tino Livramento's chest and onto his elbow. Referee Szymon Marciniak initially waved PSG's appeals away before a VAR check prompted a controversial overturn that appeared to go against UEFA guidelines set out last season.
A UEFA statement from April 2023 read: "In their guidelines for next season, the Board recommends that UEFA should clarify that no handball offence should be called on a player if the ball is previously deflected from his own body and, in particular, when the ball does not go toward the goal."
As a result, the VAR official Tomasz Kwiatkowski was removed from the Wednesday night Champions League fixture between Real Sociedad and Red Bull Salzburg. He also won't be involved in the final round of Champions League fixtures next month.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Shearer said: "That was a disgrace. That’s as polite as I can be.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“I spoke to them [UEFA] this morning and to be fair to them, they were as angry as we were, they were as disappointed as what we were in the decision and they said that the referee and the VAR knew straight away after the game that they had made a huge error and they would no longer be involved in the games this evening [Wednesday] or in the next round of games which are in two weeks’ time, they will be off those games as well. But they won’t be commenting and it was okay for me to say that.”
The late draw leaves Newcastle needing to beat AC Milan in their final group stage match on December 13 in order to have a chance at progressing to the last-16 of the competition. In addition, The Magpies also need PSG to drop points at Borussia Dortmund.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.