A rules expert has weighed in on the controversial decision to award Real Madrid their winning penalty in Los Blancos’ 2-1 victory over Marseille on Tuesday night. Xabi Alonso’s side were made to work hard on the opening night of the 2025/26 Champions League, with Timothy Weah putting the French side ahead inside 22 minutes.
It took just six minutes for Kylian Mbappe to level things from the spot, but Real had to wait until the 81st minute for another stroke of fortune at the Bernabeu. Facundo Medina’s sliding tackle on Vinícius Jr. led to a handball call that gifted Europe’s most successful club their decisive second penalty. Watch the incident below:
The decision has sparked widespread uproar, particularly in the Marseille camp. After the match, Roberto De Zerbi fumed: “It’s never a penalty. It’s shameful! After the match against Real Sociedad, everyone was talking about the injustice against Real Madrid…”
Rules Expert Weighs in on Controversial Real Madrid Penalty
Christina Unkel, a former FIFA referee turned rules expert, put Irfan Peljto’s decision on blast during a segment with CBS Sports Golazo, but put most of the blame for the wrong decision on that of VAR, who she felt should have asked the Bosnian official to go to the pitchside monitor so that he could mull over his initial call. She said (watch below):
“It’s [the handball] expected, he has nowhere else he can move his arm, and naturally, that’s where he would move his arms. But this is a conversation we’ve had that even the laws have been included into interpretation, distance, did he kick it into his own hand? The majority of that contact occurs because he is making that defensive challenge, which makes it natural.
“I don’t like this decision, I don’t think this is what should have been given. I think the decision should have been ‘no penalty’. Now the question will be, ‘why did VAR not recommend to overturn the penalty decision?’ I do feel it does fall under a clear and obvious error, and I think this is what referees are going to find out from the UEFA observer when we talk about it next week.”
Another CBS Sports Golazo regular to chime in on the controversial incident is Ian Paul Joy, who labelled it “one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen.” He lamented: “I think Marseille can feel hard done by.
“There’s no doubt the referee flip flopped this game. It was a poor decision, I think it’s one of the worst decisions given for a handball in the Champions League I’ve ever seen. And in all of football in general, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a poor decision. This needs to be stamped out from our game.”