Calcutta: Harry Kane and Bayern Munich were left fuming after a controversial handball shout was waved away during their Champions League semi-final second-leg match against Paris Saint-Germain.
While the Bavarians felt aggrieved at the Allianz Arena, the decision to not award a penalty was rooted in a specific Law of the Game, as referee Joao Pinheiro's call was backed by a technicality regarding teammate deflections that ultimately saved the visitors.
The penalty was not awarded because the incident began with a controlled clearance from Vitinha, which subsequently struck Neves' arm while he was instinctively trying to protect himself.
Despite the arm being in an open position, this type of contact is not considered a punishable offence. This decision aligns with the official Laws of the Game, which state that a "handball is not committed if a player is hit on the hand or arm by a ball played by a team-mate — provided the ball does not go directly into the opponents’ goal or lead to an immediate scoring opportunity".
The tension of a Champions League semi-final reached boiling point in Munich as Vincent Kompany’s side found themselves on the wrong end of two massive officiating calls within the space of just a few minutes.
However, the real drama began around the half-hour mark when Nuno Mendes appeared to handle the ball to halt a promising Bayern attack. Despite being on a yellow card, the Portuguese defender escaped a second booking and subsequent dismissal after the referee instead awarded a free-kick to the visitors.
It is understood that the assistant referee flagged for an earlier handball against Bayern’s Konrad Laimer, though replays suggested that decision was far from certain.
“We have to look at some of the phases that were decided by the officials across the two games. It’s never an excuse but it mattered,” Kompany said.
“If we look at both legs too much went against us. But the guys gave everything"