Football is meant to be a simple game, with a uniform set of rules that apply whether matches are being played in the local park or in the World Cup finals.
Nobody though appears to have told UEFA, as they apply a different version of the handball rule than fans, managers, players and commentators are used to seeing in domestic leagues.
That was evident in the two Champions League semi-finals this week, when both Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies and Arsenal’s Ben White were both penalised for offences that would never have been ruled fouls in the Bundesliga or Premier League. In both cases, the ball struck their foot and then rebounded against their arms.
Whilst the referees ruled those arms were in an unnatural position, neither had the chance to move them out of the way in time.
And that is without referencing the decision to rule out Arsenal’s second penalty against Atlético Madrid, despite the fact that there was no clear and obvious error in awarding it in the first place.
Many football fans are already disenchanted by VAR, as evidenced by the vote by Championship clubs against its adoption for next season.
But this difference with how the same incidents are viewed in different competitions is undermining the integrity of the sport.
