Handball exemption upheld in Champions League semi-final as Bayern denied penalty
Joao Neves not penalised for handling Vitinha's pass; pundits question consistency of current handball interpretations
Bayern Munich were denied a penalty during the Champions League semi-final second leg against Paris St-Germain after Joao Neves handled a clearance from team-mate Vitinha inside the box. The decision was upheld by the referee and VAR, citing an exemption in the handball laws regarding balls played by team-mates.
The incident occurred around the 30-minute mark at the Allianz Arena, with the German side trailing 1-0 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate. Despite protests from players, coaching staff and fans, referee Joao Pedro Silva Pinheiro waved away the appeal, a decision confirmed by the video assistant referee.
According to the Laws of the Game, a handball is not punishable if the ball is hit on the hand or arm by a ball which has been played by a team-mate, unless the ball goes directly into the opponents' goal or the player scores immediately afterwards. Dale Johnson, BBC Sport's football issues correspondent, noted that this rule covers situations where a player is unexpectedly struck by a clearance from a teammate, even if their arm is away from their body.
Reacting to the incident, former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock expressed confusion over the ruling, noting that many people are currently unsure about the application of handball rules in the Champions League this season. He suggested that the specific interpretation has left experts uncertain regarding consistency.
Former striker Chris Sutton described the specific exemption as a really stupid one, suggesting that players could punch a ball in the air without penalty. This sentiment highlights the ongoing debate among pundits and fans regarding the clarity and consistency of handball interpretations in the current Champions League season.
Earlier in the same match, PSG left-back Nuno Mendes avoided a second yellow card for a handball after the referee ruled the ball had struck a Bayern player's arm beforehand. This sequence of events has further fuelled discussions on how the rules are being applied in high-stakes European competition.
