One pundit claims that Rangers and West Ham have both suffered from penalty woes in the Europa League.
In their 2-2 first-leg tie away at Benfica in the round of 16, the Light Blues were penalized. John Souttar looked to head the ball onto his arm with the score at 1-0 after Tom Lawrence’s opening goal, and a VAR review led to the allocation of a penalty.
Noah Weisshaupt’s hand looked to make contact with the ball in the Freiburg penalty area during West Ham’s 1-0 loss to them. Although a thorough VAR review verified that contact had been made, Tomas Soucek may have shoved him.
“His hand comes close to the ball as it’s passing, but it’s not conclusive. For me, there is no way in this world they can definitively say that the ball hit – and it must be the very tops of his fingers – before it hit his head. There is no way they can see that. I’m in absolutely no doubt, it’s as clear as day, that he heads it onto his arm.
“There was a penalty in the last minute of Freiburg vs West Ham, the last kick of the ball. Tomas Soucek goes to kick it over his head back towards goal and it strikes the Freiburg player on his arm. His hand is above his head. I’m thinking it’s a stonewall penalty.
“Clearly hits his arm. The ref gets called to the monitor, and it must be to see if the Freiburg player has touched it onto his own arm. If it’s not given when Soucek’s done it – which would be crazy because it’s a stonewall penalty – if it’s not given there, how can it go against Souttar? This is the inconsistency people aren’t happy with.”
Moyes said of the West Ham scenario: “I’ve had the chance to look at it and I think it is a penalty kick. My reasons aren’t biased, but nowadays if you lift two hands above your head then it’s an unnatural position. I think the reasons for his hands being there was because it was a free-kick, but if that was his reason, then the referee never restarted the game for a free-kick.”
Ibrox boss Philippe Clement meanwhile was also unhappy with Souttar’s penalisation: “It’s very harsh. I have said it already a few times but I don’t agree with where the game is going with the handball situation, but those are the rules. I had more problems with some situations in the last few weeks, but with this one gets given because of the rules. But as someone who loves football I have difficulty with those rules, like all other managers and players.
“It is too harsh now that a ball that is clearly not intended to hit your arm is given as a penalty the moment it touches you. Too many games all over the world are decided in this way. But those are the rules. Maybe when I am finished as a manager I can do something to make the game more simple again and for referees also, as it’s difficult for them too.”
