This scene sparked plenty of discussion online even during the game: the alleged handball by Marseilleās Facundo Medina. Kylian MbappĆ© then converted the penalty to score the 2-1 winning goal.
Medina had gone in for a sliding tackle and the ball hit his hand as he fell to the ground and tried to support himself. But was it really a handball? “If thatās a penalty, then Iām done watching football,” wrote one user on Twitter. Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi also had strong words after the final whistle.
“That is never a penalty. Itās a disgrace,” said the coach at the press conference after the narrow defeat to Los Blancos. “I would have said the same if it had been given for us. That is never a penalty,” De Zerbi added.
In an interview with ‘CBS Sports’, he also explained: “You know this better than I do, but the day before the game, Real already creates so much excitement. I donāt want to be polemical, but itās never a penalty.”
What De Zerbi probably means by this is the announced complaint that Real wants to file with FIFA. The Madrid club feels disadvantaged by referees in LaLiga and now wants to put international pressure on them.
Kylian MbappĆ©, who took the penalty, said in turn: “Itās hard to see the logic behind it. For me, itās a penalty, but I can understand people who say itās not. This rule confuses everyone.” In the end, the Frenchman probably didnāt care.
Penalty or not? What do you think? Feel free to write it in the comments.
šø Mateo Villalba Sanchez – 2025 Getty Images
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