Marseille`s sporting director Mehdi Benatia has drawn parallels between a recent controversial penalty decision in favor of Real Madrid and a similar incident from his time as a Juventus player seven years ago.
Following Marseille`s 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid in a recent match, Benatia expressed his frustration with the officiating, particularly regarding the second penalty awarded to the Spanish side. Both penalties were successfully converted by Kylian Mbappé, leading to strong criticism from the French club towards referee Irfan Peljto.
Benatia told French media, “It`s extremely difficult to accept, but I experienced a similar situation seven years ago. Returning here after all this time, I left with the same feeling. I saw our player make fair contact with the ball. Yes, his arm was involved, but unless we amputate it, it`s challenging to avoid such situations.”
The incident Benatia referred to occurred during a Champions League quarter-final match between Juventus and Real Madrid at the Bernabéu in 2018. In that game, Juventus had overcome a 3-0 first-leg deficit to level the score on aggregate. However, referee Michael Oliver awarded a late penalty to Real Madrid for Benatia`s challenge on Lucas Vázquez. Cristiano Ronaldo converted the spot-kick, sparking intense protests from Juventus both on and off the field.
Marseille`s head coach, Roberto De Zerbi, described the recent penalty decision as “shameful,” echoing the sentiment of frustration expressed by Benatia and highlighting the ongoing debates surrounding crucial refereeing decisions in high-stakes matches.