Expert claims Newcastle United decision led to controversial Euro 2024 rule change

Dubravka kept a clean sheet as Slovakia kicked off their Euro 2024 campaign with a group stage win. Based on FIFA world rankings, it was the biggest upset in European Championship history with Belgium currently ranked third and Slovakia 48th.

But the win was not without controversy after Ivan Schranz gave Slovakia an early lead as Belgium had two goals ruled out in the second half. Romelu Lukaku’s first goal was disallowed for offside while his second was subject to a VAR check which deemed Lois Openda handled the ball before setting up the striker.

VAR showed the ball made slight contact with Openda’s hand as he tussled with Slovakia’s Denis Vavro. Referee Halil Umut Meler disallowed the late strike after reviewing the footage.

Despite the controversy surrounding the decision, ITV’s referee analyst Christina Unkel explained the decision - citing Newcastle’s controversial 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in November.

“The deliberate interpretation has recently changed since the Newcastle, PSG game in the Champions League,” she said during ITV’s live broadcast. "However, this is considered a deliberate offence as the arm is near the shoulder level because the arm is extended and the touch helps control the ball."

Newcastle were denied a famous Champions League win at Parc des Princes after Tino Livramento was adjudged to have handled the ball deep into stoppage time. PSG were awarded a penalty that was converted by Kylian Mbappe to cancel out Alexander Isak’s first-half opener.

The decision to award PSG a penalty went against UEFA guidelines, which state: “No handball offence should be called on a player if the ball is previously deflected from his own body and, in particular, when the ball does not go towards the goal.” While Openda’s handball was not comparable to Livramento’s, it is claimed the Newcastle ‘offence’ prompted a revision to the handball law. Clarification has been provided to state that a handball that would be deemed a penalty if inside the box must be given as a foul if outside the box.

The IFAB law changes state: “Non-deliberate handball offences are usually the result of a player attempting to play fairly, so when a penalty kick is awarded for such offences, the same philosophy should apply for offences (fouls) which are an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball.”