Liverpool winger Bradley Barcola was at the center of a penalty controversy during France's Nations League win against Belgium, with fans left fuming by the referee's decision
Bradley Barcola played for France on Monday
Bradley Barcola played for France on Monday(Image: Getty Images)
An incident involving Bradley Barcola left France supporters — and Thierry Henry — incensed during the team's Nations League triumph over Belgium.
Zinedine Zidane's side broke Belgian resistance in Brussels courtesy of an 88th-minute winner from Michael Olise, who had come on to replace Liverpool superstar Barcola 11 minutes prior. Yet the visitors ought to have put the contest beyond doubt well before then.
Midway through the opening half, Barcola utilized his blistering pace to surge into the Belgian penalty area, with Nathan Ngoy desperately struggling to keep pace with him. Just as Barcola shaped to shoot, the defender thrust out an arm, sending the winger crashing to the turf — yet no penalty was awarded, with the referee apparently deeming it a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge.
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French supporters were left seething, with many flocking to social media to denounce a "shameful" decision.
One said: "This refereeing is shameful. From several angles, you can clearly see that he's pushing him in the back. At no point does he play the ball; he's behind him and can't do anything."
Another said: "That's a penalty every day; he pushes in the back without playing the ball."
Barcola wanted a penalty after appearing to be barged over by Nathan Ndoye
Barcola wanted a penalty after appearing to be barged over by Nathan Ndoye(Image: TF1)
A third fumed: "1000 times penalty! Do the opposite, guys! A defender who gets shoved like that! He whistles right away."
Those supporters found backing from former Belgium assistant manager and pundit Henry, who remarked: "I need someone to explain this shoulder-to-shoulder thing to me because sometimes we use football language to avoid saying what actually happened.
"Barcola is running with the ball. He's not challenging Ngoy for it. Ngoy comes from behind, puts his body into him and sends him to the floor. That is not shoulder-to-shoulder. Where is Barcola's shoulder in this agreement? That is a penalty for me."
In his post-match comments, Barcola stated: "If I talk about it, I'm probably in trouble, but I have to say what I think. I felt the contact. I was inside the box, and I was trying to continue the action.
"Maybe the referee saw it differently, but from where I was, it affected the play. What frustrates me most is that these decisions can change a game. You work for 90 minutes, and sometimes one moment decides everything.
"I don't want to complain about referees in the Nations League or Premier League, I just want consistency. If there is contact and it affects the attacker, at least take another look. I'll probably get fined for saying this, but honestly, I thought it was a penalty."
Olise's superb individual strike ensured the incident didn't prove decisive to the outcome, securing a second consecutive victory for Zidane, who marked the goal with an exuberant celebration, sprinting down the touchline and booting a spare ball.
Zidane will aim to maintain his perfect record when his team faces Italy on Friday.