MARK CLATTENBURG: Newcastle are right to feel robbed by PSG’s late penalty… the referee’s decision to award the late spot-kick went against all UEFA guidance

Newcastle have every right to feel robbed. Kylian Mbappe should never have been gifted the chance to equalise from the penalty spot in the eight minute of stoppage time. 

Szymon Marciniak refereed the 2022 World Cup final, and Tomasz Kwiatkowski was his VAR. They are an experienced pairing and well respected, but this has to go down as one almighty error on their part. 

All we ask is that our referees and VARs are as strong as they are consistent in their decision-making. 

Earlier in this Champions League clash, we saw the ball strike Lewis Miley on the thigh and then bounce on to an arm which was slightly away from his body. 

Kwiatkowski decided against sending Marciniak to his monitor for a review. 

Szymon Marciniak was sent to the monitor by his VAR to review the alleged offence by Tino Livramento despite declining to view a similar incident in the first half against Lewis Miley

Marciniak’s eventual decision to award the late penalty to PSG went against all UEFA guidance

Kylian Mbappe scored the resulting penalty as PSG controversially secured a 1-1 draw

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But then deep into stoppage time, we see an almost identical incident. The ball ricochets off Tino Livramento’s chest and on to his elbow and this time, Kwiatkowski recommends a review by Marciniak. 

While at his monitor, Marciniak is convinced that Livramento’s arm is outstretched because of the specific angle that the VAR is showing him. 

However, the angle from behind the goal, which we all saw on television but the VAR did not show to Marciniak, clearly proves this was not the case. 

Livramento did not make his body bigger. His arm was in a natural position for the movement he was making. He had no time to react to the deflection. 

This penalty went against all UEFA guidance, and Newcastle paid the price.