Referee expert Pascal Garibian has confirmed that the decision to award a penalty to Kylian Mbappe during France’s 1-0 victory over Austria in their Euro 2024 opener was the correct call.
The incident occurred in the 38th minute of the match in Düsseldorf. Mbappe, breaking into the Austrian penalty area, attempted to round goalkeeper Patrick Pentz. As the French striker nudged the ball past him, Pentz made contact, bringing Mbappe down. Referee Jesús Gil Manzano immediately pointed to the spot.
Speaking on the French television program Team Duga, Garibian, the former head of refereeing for the French Football Federation, analyzed the play. “The contact is clear,” Garibian stated. “The goalkeeper arrives and makes contact with Mbappe’s left leg. It is a penalty. There is no debate.”
Garibian directly addressed the controversy surrounding the decision, which some observers argued was soft. He emphasized that the contact initiated by the goalkeeper was sufficient to warrant the foul. “The goalkeeper does not play the ball. He makes contact with the attacker. For me, it is a penalty kick,” he concluded.
Mbappe himself stepped up to take the resulting penalty but saw his effort crash against the crossbar and go over. The only goal of the game came later from an Austrian own goal.
This official analysis from a leading refereeing authority puts to rest the debate over the key moment, confirming the on-field official’s judgment was accurate according to the laws of the game.
