Eddie Howe has criticized Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, suggesting he should have stuck with his initial decision as Kylian Mbappe’s last-minute penalty denied Newcastle a potential historic victory against Paris Saint-Germain.
VAR Tomasz Kwiatkowski advised Marciniak to reverse his call after Ousmane Dembele’s cross deflected onto Tino Livramento’s elbow in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
Despite a prolonged consultation with the pitchside monitor, Marciniak awarded PSG a penalty that Mbappe converted to put fate out of Newcastle’s hands.
The Magpies must now beat AC Milan in their final fixture and hope for a favorable PSG outcome against already-qualified Borussia Dortmund to secure Champions League progression.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Howe said: “I’m still coming to terms with it. I feel really flat but at the same time really pleased with what the players gave today. Their commitment, execution… We rode our luck. We ran out of luck at the end. I didn’t think it was a penalty.
“What you don’t take into account with those replays is how quick the ball goes. It hits his chest first. If it hits his hands first, well it’s still not a penalty because he’s so close. But you can make more of a case.
“It’s not a penalty when it hits his chest first and then hits his hand which is low. I’m not allowed to sum it up. I can’t say my inner thoughts obviously [I’d get in trouble].
“I thought the referee was having a good game up until this moment. He had been strong.”
Before that penalty, Newcastle were rock solid at the back as they defended so deep to restrict all PSG attacks. One of the players who was impressed was goalkeeper Nick Pope, who made a couple of crucial saves in denying Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Brandley Barcola.
