Newcastle boss Eddie Howe slams ‘POOR decision’ to award PSG the late penalty that denied his side a famous victory in Paris… as he suggests the referee wilted under the ‘extreme’ pressure from the home crowd

Eddie Howe said he felt a sense of injustice and could not understand the award of an injury-time penalty that denied Newcastle a famous Champions League victory here in Paris.

Tino Livramento was penalised for a handball in the 98th minute when Polish referee Szymon Marciniak pointed to the spot after a VAR review, and Kylian Mbappe scored to cancel out Alexander Isak’s first-half opener.

However, the ball had deflected off the defender’s chest before hitting his elbow, and UEFA guidance to officials states that should not result in a penalty.

Isak called it ‘cheap’ and, when Howe was asked if he felt an injustice had been served by the referee, the Newcastle boss said: ‘Yes, I do. In my opinion, it wasn’t the right decision.

‘What you don’t take into account with those replays is how quick the ball goes. It hits his chest first and comes up and hits his hand. If it hits his hand first, it’s still not a penalty, because he’s so close. But you can make more of a case.

Tino Livramento was penalised for handball, despite the ball hitting his chest first

‘It’s not a penalty when it hits his chest first and then hits his hand, which is low. His hand is not in an unnatural position. He is running and they are in a running motion. I think it’s a poor decision and it’s hugely frustrating for us, because you know how little time is left.

‘I thought the referee was having a good game up until this moment. He had been strong. The pressure put on the referee by the crowd was extreme.’

Newcastle were second in the group at 1-0, meaning a victory over Milan in the final game would have guaranteed their place in the last 16. The draw restored PSG to second.

Condemnation of the decision was widespread, with Ally McCoist labelling it ‘a disgrace’.

‘It comes off Tino Livramento’s chest and hits his elbow – that is absolutely never a penalty,’ McCoist told TNT. ‘If we’re giving a penalty for that, then it is a disgrace. It’s bordering on a robbery. If I was playing I’d have a real feeling of injustice.’

Fellow pundit Jermaine Jenas, the former Newcastle midfielder, was just as livid.

‘I think it’s a shocker,’ he said. ‘The referee had such a good game, but he’s caved really. For that to happen, in that moment like that, after Newcastle performed the way they did, it doesn’t feel right. It’s a bitter pill to swallow.

‘What is Livramento meant to do with his arms? Wrap them round his back? I’m fuming. The players threw everything at it and it should have been one of those historic wins. Newcastle have been robbed.’

Referee Szymon Marciniak awarded the spot-kick, and Howe feels he may have been influenced by the crowd, while Alan Shearer, Jermaine Jenas and Ally McCoist also slammed the decision

Club legend Alan Shearer said on X: ‘Do me a f***ing favour man. What a load of s***.’

Howe, though, was proud of his team’s performance.

‘We will look at the positives of what the players gave today,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t have asked for anymore. There were some massive performances and I’m so disappointed they don’t get to celebrate that moment of success. But we are still in the competition, we are still fighting. When the draw came out, it was the Group of Death and I don’t think many people gave us a chance of qualifying from it.’

Goalkeeper Nick Pope made seven saves and was his team’s man-of-the-match, and Howe said: ‘He was immense. They had chances and he made some fantastic saves. We were always going to need that type of performance. We were so close.’