Riccoli admits referee's mistake: "Kharkiv" should have been awarded a penalty kick against "Shakhtar"

The main expert of the UAF on arbitration Nicola Rizzoli recognized the mistake in the decision of the refereeing team in one of the key episodes of the match of the 3rd round of the UPL between "Kharkiv" and "Shakhtar" (0:1).

At the end of the first half, Artem Smoliakov fell in the penalty area of the guests after a dangerous tackle by Yegor Nazarina. The main referee Oleksandr Shandor did not award a penalty, and the VAR system did not recommend him to review the episode.

Rizzoli explained that the midfielder of "Shakhtar" unsuccessfully handled the pass in his own penalty area, after which he went for a risky tackle, trying to outplay the player of "Kharkiv".

"The crucial aspect in this episode is the defender's actions. In order to reach the ball, he jumps at high speed with a straightened and raised leg. Once off the ground, the player can no longer properly reduce speed, stop, or change trajectory to avoid contact with the opponent.

The fact that Nazarina played the ball at approximately the same time as the player from "Kharkiv" is of secondary importance. Playing the ball itself does not mean that the player's actions are legitimate. First and foremost, it is necessary to assess the way the move was executed and its potential consequences for the opponent," Rizzoli noted.

According to the expert, the "Shakhtar" player acted recklessly and created a risk of injury to the opponent. Therefore, the referee should have awarded a penalty and shown Yegor Nazarina a yellow card.

Rizzoli also emphasized the mistake of the video assistants:

"VAR should have determined that the referee's assessment was overly focused on the fact that the defender also touched the ball. Replays allowed to assess the height of the raised leg, speed, and level of risk. Therefore, VAR should have recommended a review of the episode on the field."

Thus, the correct decision at that moment should have been a penalty kick in favor of "Shakhtar" and a yellow card for Nazarina.