Bayern Munich were left furious during their Champions League semi-final exit to Paris St-Germain after a controversial handball decision involving PSG midfielder João Neves went unpunished – with the explanation lying in a rarely cited clause within football’s handball law.
Trailing 1-0 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate at the Allianz Arena, Bayern saw their hopes of a comeback dealt a crushing blow just after the half-hour mark. A clearance from PSG’s Vitinha ricocheted directly onto the arm of his own teammate, Neves, inside the penalty area.
Bayern’s players immediately surrounded referee João Pedro Silva Pinheiro, demanding a spot-kick. However, the referee waved play on, and the video assistant referee (VAR) opted not to intervene, prompting widespread confusion on social media.
According to BBC Sport’s football issues correspondent Dale Johnson, the decision was correct under a specific exemption in the handball law.
The law states that it is not a handball offence if the ball is “hit on the hand/arm by the ball which has been played by a team-mate” – unless the ball goes directly into the opponents’ goal or the player scores immediately afterwards.
“It covers when the ball is unexpectedly hit at you by a team-mate, even if your arm is away from your body – the law says you should not give away a penalty,” Johnson explained. “When Vitinha blasts the ball clear, could João Neves think the ball would be hit straight at him? Of course, this could be overridden by deliberate handball, but in the context of this situation, a penalty would not be expected to be awarded.”
‘A really stupid rule’
The decision drew sharp criticism from pundits and from Bayern boss Vincent Kompany, whose side had already been aggrieved by a controversial handball penalty against them in the first leg.
“Because it’s from his own team-mate, it’s not a penalty,” Kompany said. “But if you look at both phases, a little bit of common sense and it’s just ridiculous. It doesn’t tell the whole game, but it’s a one-goal game in the end.”
Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It’s a bit of an odd one. It’s caught a few people out, the ruling of it – I didn’t know about it.”
Ex-Chelsea striker Chris Sutton was more blunt, calling the rule “really stupid”.
“So you can kick a ball and if the ball is in the air you can fist the ball and you’re not going to get penalised for it?” Sutton said.
Kompany also angered by Mendes escape
Bayern’s frustrations were compounded earlier in the game when PSG left-back Nuno Mendes escaped a second yellow card for a separate handball incident. Mendes, already booked for a foul on Michael Olise inside eight minutes, handled a pass from Konrad Laimer. However, the referee awarded a free-kick to PSG, ruling the ball had struck Laimer’s arm first.
“I thought he was giving it,” Kompany said. “I felt he pulled out because he realised he already gave him a yellow and he didn’t want to send him off for that. He turned it around to the other side. I’ve seen a few angles – I don’t see Konrad Laimer touch it with his hand.”
England captain Harry Kane scored a 94th-minute equaliser for Bayern, cancelling out Ousmane Dembélé’s third-minute opener. But PSG progressed 6-5 on aggregate and will face Arsenal in the final in Budapest on 30 May.
