Nice v PSG – penalty row, refereeing body gives its verdict

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·25 de marzo de 2026

Nice v PSG – penalty row, refereeing body gives its verdict

Paris Saint-Germain’s 0-4 win away to Nice last Saturday, as part of Matchday 27 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season, was notably marked by controversy surrounding the refereeing. The Nice camp, especially coach Claude Puel, criticized the penalty awarded to PSG late in the first half. This Wednesday, the Refereeing Department revealed its analysis.

End of the controversy?

Morgan Sanson places his left arm in the ball’s path, in a position that increases the area covered by his body. The contact with the ball is confirmed and constitutes an infringement of Law 12, justifying the penalty. Furthermore, regardless of the lack of footage allowing it to be stated with certainty that there was a “double touch” at the moment the corner was taken, the Refereeing Department (DA) reminds us that, in accordance with the IFAB video assistant referee protocol and with the exception of penalties, “an improperly taken restart leading to a goal or a penalty cannot be reviewed” by the video assistant referee.

The response is clear, and not surprising after the use of VAR. It is a penalty, since the arm is badly positioned and there is contact between the hand and the ball. It can be considered “unfair” because the shot did not seem to be on target, except that the rule would quickly become complicated to apply if such things started being taken into account, such as the ball’s “danger.” Above all, it is a defender who is badly positioned. And the referee is not there for “footballing justice,” but to enforce the rules.

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As for the famous possible double touch, the answer is also clear. Even if one can still regret that VAR stops short on certain elements, there is also the difficulty of applying it to everything and the match rhythm that could be disrupted.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.