Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg was left with egg on his face on Tuesday night after he delivered his verdict on a big call in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg clash between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.
With Liverpool trailing 2-0 from the first leg in the Parc des Princes, they needed a big performance to overturn the deficit and make it through to the semi-finals against the reigning Champions League winners.
And after a goalless first half it looked as if they had been given the perfect opportunity to throw the tie wide open with 20 minutes to go when they were awarded a penalty for a Pacho foul on Alexis Mac Allister.
Clattenburg Was Beside Himself Over Liverpool Decision
Liverpool's Jeremie Frimpong in action vs PSG
The PSG players were aghast and they were right to be as video replays showed it was soft, with the PSG defender doing very little to the Reds midfielder to warrant a penalty kick being awarded.
And VAR agreed, sending the referee to the monitor to check and he would eventually overturn his decision.
On Amazon Prime's coverage, former Premier League official Clattenburg could not believe it.
Speaking before the referee was sent to the monitor, Clattenburg, who spent 13 years in the top flight, said: "We can class this as a clumsy challenge by the PSG defender. He does catch MacAllister's foot, therefore because there is a contact the VAR will accept the referee's decision of a penalty kick, so I don't expect the VAR to overturn this decision because there is a contact on the foot."
Seconds later, Mauirizio Mariani was ordered to take a look at the supposed foul on the pitchside monitor and did not take long to overturn his decision.
Clattenburg added: "I'm very surprised because when there is a contact on the foot, Mac Allister gets in front and when he puts his foot there and the defender's clumsy when he comes in from behind and therefore there is a contact on the foot, I don't understand why VAR is recommending a review when there was a contact on the foot.
Clattenburg Said Soft Does Not Make It Wrong
Mark Clattenburg
"We talk about clear and obvious every time we talk about VAR interventions and when you see the contact on Mac Allister's foot, and people will say it's soft, but it's not wrong, there is a contact and once the referee gives it, I expect the penalty to be upheld."
His verdict led to plenty of people taking aim at the former Premier League ref on social media.
PSG would go on to open the scoring at Anfield minutes later through Ousmane Dembele to effectively end the tie as a contest, with the French side going 3-0 up on aggregate.
They will play either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the semi-final.
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