Former Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer has blasted the decision which handed Paris St German a Champions League get out of jail card against his home town club “disgusting” and “s***”.
Shearer, the Magpies’ record goalscorer, voiced his frustration on social media after Polish referee Szymon Marciniak was asked to review his decision not to award a penalty when Ousmane Dembele’s cross hit Tino Livramento in the ribs and then hit the underside of his arm. The referee belatedly pointed to the spot.
Kylian Mbappe, who had been denied repeatedly by goalkeeper Nick Pope and his defenders, made no mistake from 12 yards in the eighth minute of stoppage time at the Parc des Princes to secure a 1-1 draw.
A superb battling away performance from every single player. Shouldn’t be spoilt by a disgusting decision. Well done @NUFC #ChampionsLeague #PARNEW
— Alan Shearer (@alanshearer) November 28, 2023
An unimpressed Shearer wrote on his X – formerly Twitter – account: “Do me a f****** favour man. What a load of s***.
“A superb battling away performance from every single player. Shouldn’t be spoilt by a disgusting decision. Well done @NUFC.”
Shearer’s former Newcastle team-mate Shay Given was equally unhappy with the decision, which brought back memories of the night in Paris that Thierry Henry’s handball which went unnoticed and cost the Republic of Ireland a place at the 2010 World Cup finals.
Given posted on X: “What a performance from the Toon. Terrible decision to give a penalty, not the first time I’ve left Paris with a controversial handball decision.”
Heartbreaking for @NUFC. Such a good performance. Never in a million years is that a penalty. We are further away from applying consistency to the handball rule than we’ve ever been. @ChampionsLeague
— Michael Owen (@themichaelowen) November 28, 2023
Former Newcastle and England striker Michael Owen also criticised the penalty decision and the way the handball rule is being interpreted.
Owen wrote: “Heartbreaking for @NUFC. Such a good performance. Never in a million years is that a penalty.
“We are further away from applying consistency to the handball rule than we’ve ever been.”
TNT Sports pundit Ally McCoist branded Mr Marciniak’s decision “a disgrace”.
McCoist said: “It comes off his chest, then hits his left elbow. If that’s a penalty, we might as well forget about it.
“If we’re giving penalty kicks for that, it’s a disgrace. The whole night will be remembered by that decision.”
Colleague Jermaine Jenas, who spent more than three years of his playing career at St James’ Park, added: “It is a shocking decision – not in any walk of life is that a penalty. What is meant to do with his arms – wrap them around his back?
“I am fuming.”
