The decision of Istvan Kovacs from Liverpool

Kovacs dictated a free-kick from the edge of the box for Liverpool after Tchouameni's hand ball was deflected by Szoboszlai. The Romanian referee was then called to the VAR monitor

Istvan Kovacs, curious decision, after giving up on Tchouameni's intervention

After the phase was analyzed in the VAR room for a few minutes, Istvan Kovacs was called to the touch screen. He was shown the images, and the Romanian referee made a decision that surprised the English.

Kovacs not only did not give the penalty, as Liverpool would have liked, but also canceled the awarded free kick. He ruled that Thouameni had not committed a foul and the game was restarted with the referee's ball by Courtois.

“No penalty! Wow! Liverpool think they have a penalty but the referee says Tchouameni's handball is outside the box. He goes to check and then gives a shot from the edge of the box, apparently not believing the midfielder touched the ball with his hand. Unbelievable,” wrote the Liverpool Echo.

“He's trying to block with his torso. The arms aren't too far apart. Good decision,” he said Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock on BBC Radio

“Istvan Kovacs misses the penalty and cancels the free kick! Really?”the BBC wrote about Kovacs' decision.

Marius Avram's verdict, for Gazeta Sporturilor

Contacted by GSP, Marius Avram, former international referee, ruled Kovacs right. “He was called to show him that it is not a punishable handball, because first it comes to his leg, then to the hand close to his body, which the player pulls. Being in the penalty area, he had to call him to show him the above elements. The final decision is the correct one.

If those in the video operating room had considered that the henchman was punishable, they would have told him directly that he was in the punishment area without calling him to watch the phase”, said Marius Avram, for GSP.

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