Discussions about the treatment of such an episode arose during last season’s Champions League quarter-final match – Barcelona then demanded a penalty when Atletico Madrid defender Marc Pubillas touched the ball with his hand in his penalty area.
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Both VAR and later UEFA rejected Barcelona’s claims, but now clarified the interpretation of this violation, agreeing with Barcelona’s position – a penalty should be awarded.
K. Koulibaly became perhaps the first victim of such clarification.
During a Saudi Arabian league match, in which Al Hilal crushed Al Khaleej 5:1, Senegalese Kalidou Koulibaly, having received the ball from the goalkeeper, touched it with his hand, thinking the play had not yet resumed.
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However, referee Istvan Kovacs decided that the touch of the ball by Al Hilal goalkeeper Bono meant a goal kick, so K. Koulibaly’s touch was treated as an illegal handball.
Al Hilal’s protests were in vain. By the way, Bono saved the penalty.
It so happened that the match referee I. Kovacs is the same referee who did not award a penalty for M. Pubillas’s handball in the Champions League match at Camp Nou stadium.
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