António Silva’s challenge in Benfica v Casa Pia goes global: Not a penalty | OneFootball

Iturralde González, former international referee, sees no reason for the penalty that was awarded against António Silva in the Benfica - Casa Pia match, which ended in a draw (2-2) and led to the opponent's first goal in the 11th round of the Portuguese League.

"It’s not a penalty. António Silva has his hand down and the ball comes off a deflection from his own body. His arm is not away from his body, nor above his waist, nor occupying an unnatural space. There could be a debate if the ball went directly to the hand and towards the goal, even if it still wouldn’t be a penalty," he began by telling the newspaper Record.

The former referee explains his reasoning: "This is a handball that, for me, isn’t, because it comes from a deflection off his own body. If the hand had been above the waist or shoulder from the start of the play, then yes, because that hand shouldn’t be there, but the defender has his hand in a natural position and it comes from a deflection from his stomach to his arm."

Regarding the penalty awarded minutes earlier in favor of Benfica, Iturralde González had no doubts: "It’s a very clear penalty. Larrazabal falls backward, trying to draw a foul, but there’s nothing, there’s no contact. He pretends to be pushed, but there’s nothing. Ríos heads the ball and he has his arm above his shoulder. It’s a very clear penalty," he pointed out.

With this draw, Benfica, under José Mourinho, remains in third place in the Liga Portugal Betclic, with 25 points from 11 games. The Eagles are three points behind Sporting, who are in second place (28), and six behind Porto (31), who lead the championship.

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