01 December 2023 , 10:01
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Alan Shearer has revealed UEFA are as angry and disappointed as Newcastle at the decision to award PSG a stoppage time penalty on Tuesday.
The Magpies were heading for a famous win at the Parc des Princes thanks to Alexander Isak's first-half strike. But deep into stoppage time, Ousmane Dembele's cross bounced off Tino Livramento's chest and onto his arm, with referee Szymon Marciniak awarding a penalty after reviewing the decision on the pitchside monitor.
Kylian Mbappe scored the spot-kick to rescue a draw and leave Newcastle furious. Now, Shearer has revealed he called UEFA on Wednesday morning, with chiefs at the governing body admitting they were also angry at the decision.
"That was an absolute f****** disgrace. That's as polite as I can be. I spoke to them [UEFA] this morning and to be fair to them, they were as angry as what we were and disappointed as what we were in the decision," Shearer told The Rest is Football podcast.
"They said the referee and VAR knew straight away after the game they’d made huge error and they would no longer be involved in these games in the next round of the games which are in two weeks' time.
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"They'll be off those games as well. But they won’t be commenting. It was ok for me to say that but it tells you how bad of a decision it was for them to do that straight away. I mean, honestly, I thought up until then, the referee was having a really good game.
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UEFA were 'angry and disappointed' with Szymon Marciniak's decision to award a penalty according to Alan Shearer (Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)"I get it was a hostile atmosphere. This is what angers everyone. You've got one of the best referees there is, worked the World Cup final, can obviously handle pressure. And you've got an assistant referee as well, so it's gone through three of the best people. It is staggering."
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was left furious, with the result putting his side at real risk of failing to reach the knockout stages. Howe insisted he was trying to remain calm, but could not hide his anger.
“It wasn’t the right decision in my opinion. There are so many things to take into account at that moment, the speed first. It was a ricochet that when it is slowed down looks completely different to the live event," he said.
"The ball hits his chest first, comes up and hits his hand. But his hand is not in an unnatural position, it is down by his side but he is in a running motion. I feel it is a poor decision and it’s hugely frustrating for us.
"But we’re still in it. We can’t forget that. We still believe. It looked like we had got there. Full credit to the players. As much as this is a huge deflating feeling, it could be another story in our season [against Milan].
“I have to control myself, that is my job and it doesn’t do any good to lose control of your emotions when I speak but I’m just devastated for the players. Our destiny is not in our own hands now and that is tough to take after being in that position.”