Alan Shearer has strongly criticised UEFA's handball regulations following a contentious penalty decision in the Champions League semi-final between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich on Tuesday evening. The incident occurred late in the first half, with the score tied at 2-2, when Bayern's Alphonso Davies was penalised for handball inside his own area.
Controversial Penalty Decision
During an action-packed first half that saw goals from Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Joao Neves, and Michael Olise, referee Sandro Schärer initially waved away PSG's appeals when Ousmane Dembele's cross struck Davies's leg before deflecting onto his arm. However, after a VAR review, Schärer reversed his decision and awarded a penalty to the home side.
Shearer's Reaction
Commentating for Amazon Prime Video, Shearer did not hold back in expressing his frustration. He said: "Once you see that deflection onto his arm, then that, for me, shouldn't be a penalty. I don't agree with that, I really don't agree with it. Once it comes off his leg onto his arm, then for me, that's a different story. If it hits his arm then okay, I might accept. But once it comes off a different part of his body onto his arm, what's he meant to do?"
Former referee Mark Clattenburg echoed Shearer's sentiments, stating: "I agree with you, Alan, but we've seen it time and time again over the last two seasons. Something that we always discuss, it's highly controversial. But when you see it come from that body, the leg onto the arm - even though the arm's come away from the body - I don't believe they should be given, and I agree with Alan."
Blunt Verdict
Delivering a particularly blunt verdict, Shearer added: "I think handballs are nonsense. I think they've tied themselves up in knots over the years, trying to get somewhere which is fair. And I don't think that is, but there you go."
The incident has reignited debate over the consistency and fairness of handball laws in football, with many questioning whether the current rules adequately account for deflections.
