Tottenham midfielder gave away a penalty in the Champions League final.
Moussa Sissoko’s handball in the Champions League final turned the game after just one minute.
Liverpool scored the ensuring penalty, taking charge of the game against Tottenham, which ended 2-0.
The decision came with the help of VAR.
Ahead of the technology’s introduction to the Premier League next season, referee chief Mike Riley has said the penalty would not be given.
Riley told The Times: “Sissoko’s a really interesting one. In real time it looks a clear penalty. With VAR you can actually see what he’s doing, and he’s not interested in trying to block the cross, he’s saying to the covering defender, ‘Get over there and fill the space.’
“That’s not a deliberate act of extending the arm away from the body. You also see the ball deflects off the chest on to the arm, and if you put everything together and apply the philosophy we do here, we wouldn’t say that was handball.”
Riley also added that the handball penalty awarded against Danny Rose in the Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City would not be approved by Premier League referees.
His comments are bittersweet for Tottenham, with it having no bearing on the final result.
But it will mean there might not be too many decisions like it in the Premier League next season. We’d advise players not to take the risk if they can avoid it.
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