Howe: 'Newcastle were treated unfairly'

Paris Newcastle manager Eddie Howe criticised the penalty decision against his team in the draw with PSG.

Newcastle were awarded a penalty in the eighth minute of stoppage time when referee Szymon Marciniak adjudged Tino Livramento to have handled the ball in the box. It was a controversial decision as the ball hit the England defender's chest after being crossed by Ousmane Dembele, before hitting his hand.

Howe celebrates with Alexander Isak after the striker opened the scoring against PSG. Photo: AFP

Asked if he felt his team had been unfairly penalised, Howe replied: "Yes. It wasn't the right decision in my opinion. There were a lot of factors to consider in that move. Firstly, the speed. Then the rebound. When you look at the slow-motion replays, it looks completely different. The ball hit Livramento's chest first, bounced up and then hit his hand."

Former Scotland referee Ally McCoist said Newcastle were “overruled” in the incident, while former midfielder Jermaine Jenas called it one of the most disgraceful decisions he had seen in a long time. According to Howe, McCoist’s comments summed up what he meant better.

The Newcastle boss admitted he was not free to say what he wanted in the press conference. Howe also commented that pressure from the fans in the stands at the Parc des Princes influenced the referee's decision. Newcastle took the lead through Alexander Isak in this match, but Kylian Mbappe's stoppage-time penalty gave PSG a valuable point.

The 46-year-old coach was disappointed with the result, but still believes Newcastle will squeeze through to the round of 16. When reporters reminded him that his birthday is 15 days away, Howe said: "I almost forgot. You're right. But that's not the priority right now. Newcastle still have a chance to go through. We can't forget that. It felt like we had won. I want to give credit to the players. Even though they are very disappointed, I think it will be different against Milan."

With five points from five games, Newcastle will have no say in the final round. They must beat AC Milan at home and hope PSG fail to beat Dortmund, who have already qualified after beating Milan 3-1.

"I have to control my emotions. This is a job and there is no point in losing control of your words. I am just disappointed for the players. They played in difficult circumstances and made that decision. Now, our destiny is no longer in our hands. It is difficult to be in that situation," Howe said.

Duy Doan (according to Guardian )

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