Howe: 'Newcastle has been treated unfairly'

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe criticized the decision to award a penalty to his team in the draw against PSG.

Newcastle were awarded a penalty in the eighth minute of added time when referee Szymon Marciniak ruled that Tino Livramento handled the ball in the penalty area. This was a controversial decision because the ball hit the English defender's chest after Ousmane Dembele's cross, before touching his hand.

Howe celebrates with Alexander Isak after the striker opened the scoring against PSG. Photo: AFP — Howe celebrates with Alexander Isak after the striker opened the scoring against PSG. Photo: *AFP*

When asked if he felt his team was treated unfairly, Howe replied: "Yes. That wasn't the right decision in my opinion. There were many factors to consider in that play. First, the speed. Then, the rebound. When you watch the slow-motion replay, everything looks completely different from reality. The ball hit his chest first, bounced up, and then hit Livramento's hand."

Former Scotland referee Ally McCoist believes Newcastle were "unfairly treated" in this situation. Meanwhile, former midfielder Jermaine Jenas called it one of the most shameful decisions he'd seen in a long time. According to Howe, McCoist's assessment better summed up what he meant.

Newcastle manager Howe admitted he wasn't free to say whatever he wanted in the press conference. He also commented that pressure from the fans in the Parc des Princes stadium influenced the referee's decision. In this match, Newcastle took the lead thanks to Alexander Isak, but Kylian Mbappe's injury-time penalty gave PSG a valuable point.

The 46-year-old manager was disappointed with the result, but still believed Newcastle would squeeze through to the last 16. When reminded by reporters that his birthday was in 15 days, Howe said: "I almost forgot. You're right. But that's not the priority right now. Newcastle still have a chance to go through. We can't forget that. It felt like we had already won. I want to praise the players. Although they are very disappointed, I think things will be different against Milan."

With five points from five matches, Newcastle will not have control over their own destiny in the final round. They must beat AC Milan at home and hope that PSG fail to beat Dortmund – who have already secured qualification after beating Milan 3-1.

"I have to control my emotions. This is my job, and it's no use losing control when you speak. I'm just disappointed for the players. They played in difficult circumstances, and in return, this is the decision. Now, our fate is no longer in our hands. It's difficult to be in a situation like this," Howe said.

Duy Doan (according to Guardian )

Source link