During Bayern Munich’s Champions League clash against Arsenal, goalkeeper David Raya put the ball down at the edge of the six yard box, took a short goal kick to center-back Gabriel Magalhães…who promptly picked up the ball with his hands to put it back into the six yard area to take the goal kick, not having realized that play had already started. Bayern players immediately protested to the referee.
Surely this was a clear handball and a penalty at a pivotal point in the match for the German giants. However, nothing was given.
“The referee made a huge mistake,” Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said at the post-match press conference (as captured by @iMiaSanMia.) “I know it was a crazy situation. They put the ball down, he whistles and the defender takes the ball with his hands.”
So why was nothing given?
“[The referee] told our players it was a ‘kid’s mistake’ and he won’t give a penalty for that in a Champions League quarterfinal. It’s a horrible, horrible explanation. Kid’s mistake, adult’s mistake, whatever — we feel angry because it was a huge decision against us.”
Those are the rules. Gabriel clearly committed a handball in the penalty area, so a penalty should have been awarded. However, should Gabriel and Arsenal as a whole really be punished for a mistake as small and silly as this? It really seems like a moral vs. logical quandary.
It gets even more complex when one considers the last-minute penalty claim Arsenal had when Bukayo Saka went down after colliding with Manuel Neuer. Was that a penalty? Was it not? Somehow, it fits the tense nature of the match today that both sides left wondering if they deserved a penalty and a leg up on the other side heading into next week’s clash.
Looking for an in-depth review of the game? INNN and Cyler have you covered in our special two-person postgame show, which goes into the tactics used by Tuchel and Arteta as well as what Bayern Munich should change in the second leg. Listen to it below or on Spotify!
