According to the International Football Association Board guidelines, the controversial incident involving João Neves during FC Bayern Munich’s Champions League semi-final clash against Paris Saint-Germain F.C. should not be considered a punishable handball offence.
Given the decision to penalise Alphonso Davies for handball in last week’s game and award Paris Saint-Germain a penalty, the failure to punish Joao Neves this evening baffled — and infuriated — Allianz Arena.
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) May 6, 2026
Neves’ touch was inadvertent and it was from a rushed clearance made… pic.twitter.com/MLFcMwFJwj
Despite furious Bayern protests inside the Allianz Arena, referee João Pinheiro and the VAR team correctly allowed play to continue under the current interpretation of the laws of the game.
\text{No offence if the ball comes from close range and the arm is in a natural position}
The incident arrived in the 31st minute with Bayern desperately searching for a route back into the tie while trailing PSG by two goals on aggregate.
A dangerous cross from Josip Stanišić created panic inside the PSG penalty area before goalkeeper Matvey Safonov could only parry the ball away.
Vitinha attempted to clear the danger but instead smashed the ball directly into the arm of João Neves from only a few metres away.
Almost every Bayern player immediately appealed for a penalty, while the bench led by Vincent Kompany erupted in frustration. However, under IFAB laws, several important factors worked against Bayern’s appeals.
The first was proximity and reaction time. The ball travelled at speed from Vitinha to Neves from extremely close range, leaving virtually no realistic opportunity for the midfielder to react or avoid contact.
Secondly, Neves’ arm position was not clearly considered “unnaturally bigger” by the referee team. IFAB guidance allows players to have their arms in positions linked to natural body movement, balance, or defensive reactions.
Finally, there was no evidence that Neves deliberately moved his arm towards the ball.
Under modern IFAB interpretation, not every hand contact inside the penalty area is automatically punishable, especially when the contact is accidental and occurs following a deflection or close-range action.
That explanation, however, did little to calm Bayern’s anger after the match.
“We know the rules, but his hand was above his head,” Kompany said after the elimination. “It felt like some handball decisions went against us.”
The controversy was intensified further by another incident moments earlier involving Nuno Mendes, who escaped a potential second yellow card after handling the ball during a Bayern counterattack.
Instead, referee Pinheiro awarded a free kick to PSG after penalising an alleged handball by Konrad Laimer in the build-up, although television replays failed to provide a definitive angle.
PSG ultimately survived Bayern’s pressure to progress to the Champions League final, but the debate surrounding football’s handball law once again dominated the headlines after another major European night.
