UEFA takes decision on VAR officials in PSG vs Newcastle match

The VAR officials in the game between Paris Saint Germain and Newcastle United have been relieved from their duties in today's fixture.

The head of VAR for the game Tomasz Kwiatkowski sent referee Szymon Marciniak to the pitchside monitor in the 96th minute of Tuesday's match after the ball from Ousmane Dembele struck the arm of Tino Livramento. The referee overturned his decision and awarded a penalty to PSG which was converted by Kylian Mbappé to earn the home side a crucial 1-1 draw, a result which was crucial in their quest to reach the round of 16.

Kwiatkowski was due to act as VAR for the game between Real Sociedad and FC Salzburg on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, German official Marco Fritz will take his role. The Assistant VAR, Ivan Bebek of Croatia, who was due for Wednesday's game between Benfica and Inter Milan, has been replaced by another Germán assistant, Bastian Dankert.

This decision suggests that UEFA are not happy with the decision to award the penalty to PSG.

In April 2023, the UEFA Football Board, a collection of former players and coaches which acts as an advisory body, said that deflections off the body onto the arm should not be penalised. However, this recommendation was not taken forward as it would be against IFAB guidelines of the handball law as a blanket exemption.