UEFA has removed the VAR who awarded Paris Saint-Germain’s controversial added-time penalty against Newcastle United in the Champions League from duty for a game on Wednesday night.
The Polish VAR, Tomasz Kwiatkowski, instructed referee Szymon Marciniak to review an incident in the 96th minute of Tuesday’s match, where the ball struck the arm of Tino Livramento. The decision resulted in a penalty being awarded to PSG, allowing them to secure a crucial 1-1 draw against Newcastle United.
Kwiatkowski was originally set to act as VAR for Wednesday’s match between Real Sociedad and FC Salzburg, but has been replaced by German official Marco Fritz following the controversial decision.
There is widespread belief that the decision to advise the spot kick was a mistake by Kwiatkowski, and it could potentially impact Newcastle’s hopes of progressing in the tournament.
Moreover, UEFA’s Football Board had previously recommended against penalizing deflections off the body onto the arm, but this suggestion was not implemented due to conflicting guidelines.
Handball is penalized more strictly in UEFA competition compared to domestic leagues, with the frequency of handball penalties being significantly higher in the Champions League as opposed to leagues like LaLiga and the Premier League.
– The Necessity for UCL Progression
Given the intricacies and implications surrounding handball decisions in football, the controversy surrounding the VAR’s call in the PSG vs. Newcastle United match has sparked discussions and debates across the footballing world.
By looking at the statistics related to handball penalties, it’s evident that the frequency of these decisions is a point of contention and scrutiny, especially in high-stakes competitions like the UEFA Champions League.
Statistics illustrate the frequency of handball penalties per game since the start of last season.
