“What a bunch of S***!”: Alan Shearer SLAMS decision to award Manchester City a first-half penalty for handball against RB Leipzig… while Rio Ferdinand claims the laws of the game are to blame
- Man City were handed a controversial first-half penalty against RB Leipzig
- Leipzig defender Benjamin Henrichs was adjudged by VAR to have driven
- Alan Shearer, Nedum Onuoha and Rio Ferdinand criticized the decision
Alan Shearer led the pundits’ outrage over the awarding of a controversial penalty to Manchester City in the Champions League round of 16 second leg with RB Leipzig.
Pep Guardiola’s side went into the clash with the aggregate score of 1-1 after last month’s first leg.
After a brilliant start at the Etihad, City were awarded a penalty when VAR awarded Leipzig defender Benjamin Henrichs a handball in the box after Rodri headed towards goal.
The penalty was awarded despite no City player requesting it, while the ball barely appeared to touch Henrichs’ arm, even though it was outstretched.
And Shearer was one of many pundits to express his anger with the decision when he tweeted: ‘What a bunch of crap handball law is.’ #pathetic #MCIRBL.’
Alan Shearer criticized the call-up to award Manchester City a penalty for handball against RB Leipzig
Erling Haaland scored the first of his five goals of the night since the controversial penalty
Rio Ferdinand also criticized the penalty decision, stating that handball laws are ‘bad rules’
Speaking in the BT Sport studio at half time, Rio Ferdinand and Nedum Onuoha also expressed their frustration with the penalty call, blaming the handball rule.
Ferdinand said: ‘The letter of the law would say it’s a penalty, but this is a bad rule.
“He (Henrichs) doesn’t look at the ball when it jumps, his hands have to be around that area and I think that’s a bad call…or should I say a bad rule.”
Former City defender Onuoha added: “It’s not something I thought was serious.
Rodri was not attractive, he barely touched him, the referee of the video has seen something that nobody cares about.
Haaland scored from the spot and City destroyed Leipzig in the rest of the first half.
The Norwegian added another goal 76 seconds later, before completing his hat-trick before the break.
Guardiola’s side continued to dominate with more second-half goals from Ikay Gundogan and two more from Haaland in an excellent display.