Thomas Tuchel criticizes the ‘awful justification’ given for Bayern Munich not being awarded a handball penalty due to a ‘mistake made by a young player’.

Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel was left fuming after his team were denied a penalty in their 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg. The incident in question was a bizarre handball, which sparked much debate after the match.

The focus initially was on Arsenal being denied a last-minute penalty when Bukayo Saka went down after a collision with Manuel Neuer. However, footage later emerged of Gabriel picking up the ball inside his own box after the referee’s whistle had blown in the second half, with Bayern leading 2-1.

Tuchel was adamant that the referee, Glenn Nyberg, made a mistake by not awarding a penalty. He described the incident as a “kid’s mistake” and expressed his frustration with the explanation given on the field. Tuchel argued that the referee should not be judging handballs based on whether they are a kid’s or an adult’s mistake.

Former players Rio Ferdinand and Martin Keown agreed with Tuchel’s assessment. Ferdinand believed it was an even clearer penalty than the Saka incident and expressed disbelief that it was not given. Keown suggested that the referee may have been out of his depth and missed key moments in the match.

Overall, Tuchel and Bayern Munich were left angry and disappointed with the referee’s decision, feeling that it was a significant and costly mistake against them.