“Highly debatable” — Vincent Kompany questions penalty call in Champions League loss to PSG

TL;DR

Vincent Kompany criticized a controversial penalty awarded to PSG during their Champions League match against Bayern Munich, calling it 'highly debatable.' The incident involved a handball decision after a deflection off Alphonso Davies.

Key points

Vincent Kompany questioned a penalty awarded to PSG.
The penalty was for a handball by Alphonso Davies.
The incident involved a ball deflecting off Davies' body.

Paris Saint-GermainFC Bayern München

Paris, France - April 28: Alphonso Davies of FC Bayern Muenchen and Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain battle for the ball during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Semi Final First Leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern München at Parc des Princes on April 28, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images) | DeFodi Images via Getty Images Benjamin Franklin famously said: “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” However, Franklin missed out on another of life’s certainties: wherever Bayern Munich goes, controversial officiating follows. Bayern’s blockbuster encounter proved no different after PSG received a questionable penalty in the first half. Ousmane Dembélé‘s cross — delivered in the dying embers of the first half — struck Alphonso Davies’ body, subsequently deflecting the ball into his arm. The incident was ruled as a handball after VAR intervened, declaring Davies’ arm was in an unnatural position when the ball struck it — despite the initial deflection. The incident was the talking point of the first half, dividing the footballing community as to whether it was, in fact, a handball. Well, after being questioned about the incident in a post match interview, Vincent Kompany’s verdict is in! “I think the penalty was highly debatable,” proclaimed the 40-year-old manager (as captured by @). “From what I saw, the ball hit the body first and then the arm.” Kompany saw correctly, and so did the ref. Yet, no one can agree whether it was a penalty or not. The incident begs the question: is this just part of football, or does the handball ruling need some serious adjustments? *If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on , , , or any leading podcast distributor…*

Q&A

What was the controversial penalty incident in the PSG vs Bayern Munich match?

The penalty was awarded after a deflected ball hit Alphonso Davies' arm, which VAR deemed to be in an unnatural position.

What did Vincent Kompany say about the penalty decision?

Vincent Kompany described the penalty as 'highly debatable,' stating that the ball hit Davies' body first before striking his arm.

How did the football community react to the handball ruling in this match?

The handball ruling divided opinions within the football community, with many questioning whether the decision was justified.

“Highly debatable” — Vincent Kompany questions penalty call in Champions League loss to PSG

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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