Alan Shearer has revealed that UEFA swiftly responded to the controversial 1-1 draw between Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United in the Champions League. According to the Magpies’ legend, UEFA expressed their displeasure with the decision that allowed PSG to score a last-minute equalizer on Tuesday night.
Following the draw at Parc des Princes, Alan Shearer spoke with officials from the sporting governing body. The contentious moment occurred when Kylian Mbappe’s 98th-minute penalty, awarded under controversial circumstances, canceled out Alexander Isak’s first-half opener. The penalty decision was based on a VAR check after Ousmane Dembele’s pass hit Tino Livramento’s chest and then his elbow.
Referee Szymon Marciniak initially rejected PSG’s appeals, but the VAR check led to a controversial overturn, seemingly contradicting UEFA guidelines from the previous season. A UEFA statement from April 2023 recommended clarification that no handball offense should be called if the ball is deflected from a player’s own body, especially when the ball does not go toward the goal.
In response to the incident, VAR official Tomasz Kwiatkowski was removed from the subsequent Champions League fixture between Real Sociedad and Red Bull Salzburg. He was also excluded from involvement in the final round of Champions League fixtures next month.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Shearer expressed his strong disapproval of the decision, stating, “That was a disgrace. That’s as polite as I can be.” He mentioned that UEFA acknowledged their error, and both the referee and VAR knew right away that they had made a significant mistake. As a consequence, they would no longer be involved in the upcoming games.
The draw puts Newcastle in a challenging position, requiring a win against AC Milan in their final group stage match on December 13 to have a chance at progressing to the last-16. Additionally, the Magpies need PSG to drop points against Borussia Dortmund.