Mark Clattenburg gives verdict on decision to award controversial PSG penalty vs Newcastle | OneFootball

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Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has given his verdict on the controversial decision to award Paris Saint-Germain a dramatic late penalty during their Champions League group stage match against Newcastle United on Tuesday night.

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Newcastle were minutes away from securing a famous 1-0 victory at the Parc des Princes thanks to Alexander Isak’s first-half strike. However, Eddie Howe and his players were left crestfallen when referee Szymon Marciniak pointed to the spot in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage-time following a VAR review.

Ousmane Dembele’s cross appeared to strike Tino Livramento’s body before the ball bounced onto his arm. There was widespread disbelief when Marciniak reviewed the footage on his pitch-side monitor and subsequently decided to award the penalty from which Kylian Mbappe

Video: PSG penalty incident vs Newcastle

"That is absolutely never a penalty,” TNT Sports co-commentator Ally McCoist insisted. “If we're giving a penalty for that, then it is a disgrace." Former Newcastle midfielder Jermaine Jenas added: "What is Livramento meant to do with his arms? Wrap them round his back? I'm fuming.” You can watch footage of the incident below:

Eddie Howe reacts to the decision

Asked if he felt a sense of injustice, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said in his post-match press conference: "Yes, I do. It wasn't the right decision in my opinion. There are so many things to take into account at that moment, the speed first. It was a ricochet that when it is slowed down, looks completely different to the live event.

"The ball hits his chest first, comes up and hits his hand. But his hand is not in an unnatural position, they [his hands] are down by his side, but he is in a running motion. I feel it is a poor decision and it's hugely frustrating for us as you know how little time there is left in the game. There is nothing we can do about it now."

Mark Clattenburg gives his verdict

According to the letter of the law, though, was Marciniak correct to award the penalty? In the opinion of Clattenburg, the English match official who took charge of both the UEFA Champions League final and Euro 2016 final in the same year, the Polish ref made the wrong call.

"Newcastle have every right to feel robbed,” Clattenburg wrote in a column for the Daily Mail. “Kylian Mbappe should never have been gifted the chance to equalise from the penalty spot in the eight minute of stoppage time. Szymon Marciniak refereed the 2022 World Cup final, and Tomasz Kwiatkowski was his VAR. They are an experienced pairing and well respected, but this has to go down as one almighty error on their part.

"All we ask is that our referees and VARs are as strong as they are consistent in their decision-making. Earlier in this Champions League clash, we saw the ball strike Lewis Miley on the thigh and then bounce on to an arm which was slightly away from his body. Kwiatkowski decided against sending Marciniak to his monitor for a review.

"But then deep into stoppage time, we see an almost identical incident. The ball ricochets off Tino Livramento’s chest and on to his elbow and this time, Kwiatkowski recommends a review by Marciniak. While at his monitor, Marciniak is convinced that Livramento's arm is outstretched because of the specific angle that the VAR is showing him.

"However, the angle from behind the goal, which we all saw on television but the VAR did not show to Marciniak, clearly proves this was not the case. Livramento did not make his body bigger. His arm was in a natural position for the movement he was making. He had no time to react to the deflection. This penalty went against all UEFA guidance, and Newcastle paid the price."

Newcastle's Champions League hopes hang by a thread

Mbappe’s equaliser denied Newcastle two valuable points and leaves the club third in Group F with only one fixture (against AC Milan at home) to play. Their hopes of remaining in this season’s Champions League now hang by a thread, although there’s still a chance that they will finish second in the group behind Borussia Dortmund, who secured their place in the knockout stages with a 3-1 win over Milan at the San Siro.