VAR official removed after PSG-Newcastle penalty decision

A controversial penalty decision during the recent UEFA Champions League match between Paris St Germain and Newcastle United has led to repercussions for one of the officials involved. Thomas Kwiatkowski, the VAR official who was part of the decision to award PSG a last-minute penalty against Newcastle, has been stood down from officiating the Real Sociedad versus Red Bull Salzburg match on Wednesday night.

The penalty came in stoppage time with PSG trailing 1-0. A handball was called against Newcastle’s Tino Livramento, allowing Kylian Mbappé the chance to equalise for PSG with a penalty, which he successfully converted. The decision has been widely criticised, with Newcastle manager Eddie Howe saying he felt a “sense of injustice” as he believed it was the wrong call.

Howe explained that factors like the speed of the play, the ball ricocheting off Livramento’s chest first, and his arm being in a natural running position should have prevented the penalty. With little time left to respond, Newcastle was forced to settle for a 1-1 draw.

The UCL match official being stood down from the next fixture indicates officiating leadership agreed the critical call was questionable. While the penalty cannot be overturned, it seemingly prompted accountability for the VAR official involved.

It is another questionable VAR in an increasing number of such occurrences. Moving forward, UEFA will likely review factors in the decision-making process on such a crucial late-game call in Europe’s biggest club competition. More re-training could occur to prevent a similar situation from arising in future high-stakes matches.