PSG Newcastle VAR, Champions League game: take off

UEFA stands down VAR who recommended PSG penalty against Newcastle. Newcastle coach criticizes the decision as poor and frustrating.

The decision to award a late penalty to Paris Saint-Germain against Newcastle United has caused controversy, leading to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) who recommended the review being stood down from their Champions League appointment. Tomasz Kwiatkowski was replaced by German official Marco Fritz for the upcoming group-stage fixture between Real Sociedad and Red Bull Salzburg, indicating that UEFA views the penalty decision as an error.

The controversy stemmed from a handball call against Tino Livramento, which resulted in a penalty for PSG that was converted by Kylian Mbappe to level the scores at 1-1. The decision was met with criticism from Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe, who called it "poor" and expressed frustration at the slowing down of the replay for VAR, which he felt made the incident look "totally different."

The incident has brought attention to the guidelines for handball offenses, with UEFA's football board recommending a clarification for the 2023-24 season that no handball offense should be called if the ball is deflected from a player's own body and does not go towards the goal. Howe's frustration with the decision highlights the complexity of VAR reviews and the impact they can have on the outcome of a game.

Despite the controversy, Newcastle remains third in Group F heading into their final group-stage fixture at home against AC Milan. They sit two points behind second-placed PSG and will need the Ligue 1 champions to drop points against group leaders Borussia Dortmund in order to progress to the last 16. The outcome of the penalty decision has added an extra layer of drama to the group-stage standings, highlighting the impact that VAR can have on the outcome of crucial matches.