The reason why Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate wasn’t sent off during the Champions League clash with PSG has now been disclosed.
On Wednesday evening, Liverpool traveled to the Parc de Princes for the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 match against Paris Saint-Germain.
Early in the game, Konate caused controversy with a last-ditch challenge that many thought warranted a red card. ..Continue Reading
However, the real reason the Frenchman remained on the pitch has now been revealed.
As Liverpool faced significant pressure from PSG in the early stages of the match, a cross found PSG winger Bradley Barcola in a dangerous position just outside the box.
Fortunately for Liverpool, Konate appeared to make a last-ditch tackle with his shoulder at the edge of the box—a challenge that some believed should have resulted in his dismissal.
After a two-minute VAR check, the match officials decided not to send Konate off, concluding that it wasn’t a clear and obvious error.
VAR did consider the incident a bookable offense, but since the video assistant referee cannot recommend a yellow card and the challenge was not deemed severe enough for a straight red card, Konate was not cautioned.
“That’s a foul,” claimed Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand while commenting on the match on TNT Sports.
“That’s in his back, that’s a foul. It’s a red card. If that’s not a red card, I’ll be amazed.
“And it will be a shame if it does go down to 10 against 11 in that sense, because you want the best players playing it equally in the 90 minutes.”
If Konate had received a red or yellow card during the match, he would have been sidelined for the second leg of the Champions League tie at Anfield on Tuesday.
Liverpool will approach the home leg with a 1-0 lead, thanks to an outstanding performance by goalkeeper Alisson Becker, which enabled the Reds to secure a valuable away victory.
