Bayern Munich
players, coaching staff, and fans were left stunned at the Allianz Arena after they were denied a penalty for a handball by
Joao Neves
during their Champions League semi-final second leg against
Paris St-Germain
.
Trailing the holders 1-0 on the night and trailing 6-4 on aggregate, Bayern’s players confronted referee Joao Pedro Silva Pinheiro around the half-hour mark when
Vitinha
shot a clearance that hit Neves’ arm inside the penalty box.
However, Pinheiro dismissed the Bayern protests without any intervention from the video assistant referee (VAR), prompting a wave of confusion on social media regarding the lack of a penalty decision.
As per a report by BBC Sport’s football issues correspondent Dale Johnson, the decision stemmed from a lesser-known exception in the handball rules.
According to the regulations, a handball is not called if a player is “hit on the hand/arm by the ball which has been played by a team-mate (unless the ball goes directly into the opponents’ goal or the player scores immediately afterwards, resulting in a direct free-kick for the opposing team).” Johnson explained, “This applies when a ball unexpectedly strikes a teammate, even if their arm is extended from their body—the rule suggests a penalty should not be awarded.”
“When Vitinha clears the ball, could Joao Neves anticipate that it would strike him directly?” Johnson posited. “While deliberate handball might override this, under the circumstances, a penalty shouldn’t have been expected.”
‘That’s a really stupid handball rule’
Joao Neves has been part of the Paris St-Germain squad since 2024 [Getty Images]
In response to the incident, former
Liverpool
defender
Stephen Warnock
commented on BBC Radio 5 Live: “It’s a rather peculiar situation. This rule has confused many, and I wasn’t aware of it.”
“The handball rule in the Champions League this season seems baffling to many. It often leaves us uncertain about what decisions will be made.”
Former Blackburn Rovers and
Chelsea
striker Chris Sutton added: “I don’t want to criticize the rules, but this one seems quite ridiculous. You can launch the ball into the air, and if it happens to hit your arm, you won’t face any consequences.”
Earlier in the match, Bayern manager Vincent Kompany and his team were also frustrated when PSG left-back
Nuno Mendes
avoided a second yellow card for a handball.
Having already received a booking for fouling
Michael Olise
in the first eight minutes, Mendes handled a pass from
Konrad Laimer
, but the referee chose not to issue a second caution, deciding that the ball had struck the Bayern player’s arm beforehand.
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