Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano has defended his decision to overrule VAR during a key moment in Celtic’s 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich, insisting that Dayot Upamecano acted in a “fair manner” when he collided with Arne Engels inside the penalty area.
The controversial incident happened in the second half of the Champions League play-off tie at Celtic Park, with the hosts trailing 2-0 at the time. Engels appeared to be caught on the foot by the Bayern defender, prompting VAR to recommend a pitchside review.
However, after a lengthy check at the monitor, Manzano decided to stick with his original call, waving away Celtic’s penalty claims to the fury of the home crowd.
The decision left many bewildered inside the stadium, but UEFA clarified the referee’s rationale on the big screens at Parkhead.
According to the governing body:
“The Bayern Munich player [Upamecano] played the ball in a fair manner before the contact between the players.”
Manzano was adamant that Upamecano had made a clean intervention before his foot came down on Engels’, despite multiple replays suggesting there had been significant contact.
Celtic head into the match in Germany a goal down and will need to fight back if they are to win.
They need to replicate that second-half performance and be prepared to weather the storm in Germany.
The Hoops are still in the tie, but Bayern Munich will be keen to see them off early in the match
