Bayern Munich’s manager, Thomas Tuchel, expressed frustration as his team believed they were denied a clear penalty. The incident occurred during an intense passage of play when Bayern was leading 2-1 against Arsenal.
The pivotal moment came when Arsenal’s goalkeeper, David Raya, passed the ball to Gabriel Magalhaes after the referee, Glenn Nyberg, blew the whistle to resume play.
However, instead of playing the ball, Gabriel handled it, seemingly attempting to take the set piece again. This decision sparked outrage among Bayern players, who vehemently argued for a penalty, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
Reflecting on the incident, Tuchel revealed the referee’s admission of error but expressed disappointment in the decision-making process. Despite acknowledging the mistake, the referee chose not to award a penalty, citing the magnitude of the match.
“I think the referee did not have the courage today to give a deserved penalty in a bit of a crazy and awkward situation,” Tuchel lamented to TNT Sports. “But he admitted on the pitch that he saw the situation and that a quarter-final is not enough for him to give a penalty for his mistake.”
Tuchel’s frustration was evident as he dissected the sequence of events: “It was from the goalkeeper, he was whistling and the keeper passed to the central defender…I am not sure which one it was but he touched the ball with his hand because he thought it is not in the game, but it was in the game.”
Despite the controversy, the match ended in a 2-2 draw, leaving the tie delicately poised for the second leg.