Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has expressed displeasure at the decision to award West Ham United a penalty kick in Monday night 1-1 draw at the Vitality stadium.
The Hammers were awarded a controversial penalty with three minutes of normal time to play after VAR advised the referee, Chris Kavanagh to check for a handball by Cherries midfielder Tyler Adams after a cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Speaking in a press conference after the game, Iraola was disappointed with the decision and spoke about the inconsistency of the officials in judging handballs.
“I’m very disappointed with the penalty”, he said.
“Very, very disappointed with the penalty. Because it’s an action that we spoke before the season started with the referees.”
The penalty was dispatched by Brazil international Lucas Paqueta before a stunning freekick in the 90th minute by substitute Enes Unal was enough to secure a point for the Cherries who moved to sixth on the table.
“It’s obviously natural because everyone that has played football, you go running to defend, to block, a shot, a cross, whatever you finish with one hand down, one up is like this always. It doesn’t matter, right, left, it’s always like this. It doesn’t change a lot.”
The 42-year old was disappointed with the result of the game and believed the decision of the officials cost his side maximum points in the game.
“They give expressly the instruction not to tell our players to defend with the hands behind the back, because it was not natural and they didn’t want football to become something like defenders, like with the hands behind their backs”, he continued.
“I said, okay, we give this instruction because it’s costing us penalties and [they said] no, don’t worry, it’s natural, it’s not going to cost you.
But now it doesn’t matter. The arguments and the discussions is finished. It cost us two points, I think today, that’s it.”
Andoni Iraola’s side will be in action in the English Premier League next Sunday when they travel to the Old Trafford Stadium to face Manchester United.
Shina Oludare is a distinguished sports journalist and managing editor, renowned for his comprehensive coverage of African football. His dedication to elevating African sports on the global stage has earned him widespread respect, along with numerous accolades for his contributions. A graduate of the LaLiga Business School in Madrid, Oludare’s passion for sports and his influential work in African football journalism have established him as a leading figure in the industry.
