Many Liverpool fans have vented their frustrations online after the club were denied a stoppage time penalty against Flamengo in the Club World Cup Final.
Just into the five minutes of additional time at the end of the 90, Sadio Mane was tackled from behind by former Bayern Munich defender Rafinha, with the Brazilian full-back clipping the Senegal international just before he took his shot.
Mane was clean through and the slightest of touches on the back of his heel took his balance off, which saw him mishit his shot, upon which a penalty was rewarded.
After a lengthy study of the incident by the video assistant referees, the match referee went over to the pitch-side monitor, where not only did he overturn the penalty decision, he also refused to award Liverpool a free-kick.
Taking to Twitter, a number of fans expressed their disappointment in the decision as Liverpool were forced to head into extra time.
Twitter: @LFC I hope this ref loses his licence (@__Wahid)
Twitter: @LFC This game is so RIGGED hahahaha look at these little cheats 😂😂 (@LFCJosh23)
Twitter: @LFC HOW HAS HE NOT GIVEN A FREEKICK AT THE LEAST (@hitmanharj)
Twitter: @LFC This ref makes Martin Atkinson look competent. Hell of an achievement. (@SS_LFC)
Twitter: @LFC How’s that foul been overturned though? 😂😂 (@KloppsReign)
Twitter: @LFC This is ridiculous (@sunnylfc8)
Read Liverpool Verdict
Personally, I think it should have been a free-kick. There was contact, albeit minimal, and it came just outside of the area. I can’t quite understand how no free-kick was awarded though.
This is the issue with VAR, in that it is subjective. Referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim hasn’t seen something in that incident that many others have, and because he didn’t see it, it could have cost the Reds.
There needs to be more focus put into perfecting the technology, because it isn’t good enough as it stands.
