Karim Benzema’s goal for Real Madrid was ruled offside against Liverpool in the Champions League Final by the Italian VAR crew because of the way Fabinho touched the ball.
The incident occurred on the stroke of half-time, when Fabinho knocked it backwards into the path of Benzema, who was beyond all but one player on the field, including the goalkeeper.
It required a very long VAR check before confirmation at the Stade de France that the goal was offside by VAR Jerome Brisard and Willy Delajod of France, Massimiliano Irrati and Filippo Meli of Italy.
The decision caused controversy, as Fabinho did get the final touch and therefore in theory Benzema could not be offside.
However, it was decided Fabinho touched the ball amid a challenge, he did not deliberately play the ball, therefore it did not count for offside purposes.
The word ‘deliberate’ is in the IFAB rules on offside.
“A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately plays the ball, including by deliberate handball, is not considered to have gained an advantage, unless it was a deliberate save by any opponent.”
In theory, the referee should’ve been sent to the monitor for an on-field review, because the VAR can only rule on objective issues, whereas an offside interfering with play or an offside that depends on this ‘deliberate’ reading should be decided by the referee.
It’s also entirely possible that the VAR took the first touch from Valverde as the moment they calculated the offside, but then it probably shouldn’t have taken that long to evaluate.
Karim Benzema’s opener is ruled out for offside! ❌
What do you make of this decision? 🤔#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/dnez8spmJA
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 28, 2022
What Abt that Liverpool player in line 16
this is the same italian VAR that has been making a mess of the serie a season. surprised they got the c.league final. thats a goal. this is not what football was meant to be.
I have to go back and look but I thought Benzema was offside on the initial ball over the top.
Goal should have been allowed IMO. Two Liverpool players got the last two touches, so while the first can be ruled not deliberate, once two players touch it all the ‘rules’ should go out the window IMO. It was the Liverpool players that provided it to Benzema and he cannot be offside from a Liverpool turnover.
As for the offside, I guess most football fans don’t know that the line is drawn from the ‘2nd last man’ not the last man, and that usually with the keeper on his line, we only look at the last defender. But in this case the keeper is far off his line, so Benzema would have to have been in front of TWO Liverpool defenders.
Luigi I agree with you! Konate takes positive and or deliberate action to challenge for the ball and it is his challenge that then pushes the ball onto fabinho’s knee! If it was off a real Madrid player and then onto a Liverpool player to deflect, I’d agree with the decision! But konate has played it away on purpose!
Either way, the fake tickets brigade got done anyway!
The fact it hit two Liverpool players is why I think it should be a goal. Specially because the first touch goes forward and then the second touch goes back