Bayern Munich reacted strongly to not being awarded a penalty against Paris Saint Germain, but the current rules of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) sided with the referee.
Bayern Munich had reason to be angry after the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain on the morning of May 7th, when a clear handball in the penalty area failed to award a penalty to the German team.
The controversial incident occurred in the 31st minute at Allianz Arena. Following Vitinha’s attempt to clear the ball, it struck his teammate Joao Neves’ hand inside the PSG penalty area.
The Bayern players reacted immediately and vehemently, while the spectators in the stadium were also baffled as to why the referee allowed the game to continue. The situation became even more controversial because Neves’ arm was outstretched and the ball clearly struck his forearm.
Former football legend Jamie Carragher expressed extreme frustration while commenting on CBS Sports . He argued that Bayern were denied a “clear penalty.”
“I was absolutely furious watching that. Joao Neves had his arms outstretched as if directing traffic, and the referee just ignored it,” Carragher said.
However, BBC journalist Dale Johnson consulted the IFAB’s current handball rules immediately after the match, pointing out that the decision not to award a penalty was entirely correct.
The IFAB rules state that if the ball touches a player’s hand after bouncing directly from a kick or header by a teammate, the referee may not award a penalty.
The exception only occurs if the situation directly leads to a goal or if the player scores a goal by handling the ball immediately afterward.
PSG ultimately secured their place in the Champions League final with a 6-5 aggregate score over two legs. Harry Kane scored a late goal to give Bayern a 1-1 draw in the second leg, but it wasn’t enough to save the Allianz Arena side from overall defeat.
In the final match held in Budapest, PSG will face Arsenal. This will be a highly anticipated clash between two Spanish strategists: Luis Enrique and Mikel Arteta.
