UCL – Juventus vs Dortmund: Will Guirassy Be Sanctioned? | OneFootball

Champions League: Guirassy at the heart of controversy—will he be punished?

Serhou Guirassy / @x.com

A heated debate erupted on social media after the penalty awarded to Borussia Dortmund against Juventus (4-4) during the first round of the Champions League group stage this season.

In the 83rd minute, the referee awarded a penalty to Borussia Dortmund after Serhou Guirassy's shot was blocked by Juventus defender Lloyd Kelly as he attempted to make the save.

Footage showed the Guinean striker, Serhou Guirassy, insisting on taking the penalty and engaging in a heated exchange with his Algerian teammate, Ramy Bensebaini.

His teammates, Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt, tried to persuade him to let Bensebaini—who is the team’s regular penalty taker—step up instead, but to no avail, leaving the specialist visibly surprised and confused.

Despite the media attention, Borussia Dortmund’s management and coaching staff, led by Croatian manager Niko Kovac, have confirmed that no disciplinary action will be taken against the Guinean forward.

After the match, Kovac stated: “I understand that Serhou wanted to take the penalty because he had the opportunity, but he wasn’t the designated taker, since he missed one previously against St. Pauli (3-3). Everything was clear.”

The Croatian coach added: “Serhou is a fantastic player and a great teammate—he doesn’t take things personally. Everything is fine, there’s no need to make a mountain out of a molehill.”

He also clarified that Bensebaini had been designated to take the penalty prior to the start of this European fixture.