‘Harsh’ - Howard Webb issues statement on controversial Newcastle United decision
Former Premier League referee Howard Webb has admitted Paris Saint-Germain’s controversial penalty against Newcastle United was “harsh” - one year on.
Toon fans were incensed when Szymon Marciniak awarded a stoppage-time penalty at the Parc des Princes. Tino Livramento was judged to have handled inside the area after the ball struck his midriff.
Kylian Mbappe stepped up and coolly slotted past Nick Pope to rescue a point for PSG. A sense of injustice saw Eddie Howe berate the “wrong decision” in his post-match press conference.
Had Newcastle held on, they would have only needed a draw from their final group game to advance into the Champions League knockout rounds. As it happened, the Magpies went gung-ho while searching for a winner against AC Milan - and lost the match 2-1. Watch on Shots! Geordie Journos reflect on Newcastle United takeover - three years on
That ended Newcastle’s European hopes, ending the campaign on a bum note despite the euphoria from beating PSG 4-1 two months earlier. The incident caused UEFA’s Football Board to recommend a rule change for the 2024-25 season.
Ironically, the penalty would never have been awarded in a Premier League fixture. Now in charge of the PGMOL, the body responsible for refereeing in English football, Webb explained the difference in UEFA’s interpretation.
“They (UEFA) do that to be consistent,” he told The Overlap. “They do it because they say if your arm gets hit when it’s away from your body you’re going to get penalised.
“But then you see situations like Newcastle last year in Paris. Super harsh penalty, wasn’t it? It came off his body first and then onto his arm. In the end, they lost the game on the back of that.”