‘Bad for football’ – Matthias Jaissle slams controversial late Liverpool penalty decision after dramatic draw at St James’ Park

Newcastle United manager Matthias Jaissle expressed deep frustration over a stoppage-time penalty awarded to Liverpool during a dramatic draw at St James’ Park. The late decision allowed Dominik Szoboszlai to secure a vital point, prompting Jaissle to fiercely question the standard of officiating and suggest such soft fouls negatively impact the sport.

• Jaissle furious with late penalty callJaissle was denied a massive victory in his first home match when Szoboszlai converted a 99th-minute penalty for Liverpool. The spot-kick was awarded after Victor Munoz went down following a challenge by Lewis Hall. Newcastle were poised to take all three points until referee Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot in the dying moments. Jaissle was left incredibly frustrated by the decision, feeling that Hall was unfairly penalised in a crucial moment. The manager firmly believes the incident did not warrant a foul, sparking a debate over officiating standards.

Newcastle boss questions refereeing standards

Jaissle did not hold back when discussing the incident involving Hall and Munoz, insisting that the contact was completely insufficient to award a penalty.

Jaissle said: “For me, it was no penalty – it was a really soft one. If you give that, we will see many, many penalties. I don’t think that Lewis can do anything else, he cannot just disappear on the field! It’s a really soft penalty. If you give these penalties then you have to give a lot in this season and I’m not sure if that’s good for football.”