New Liverpool footage 'exposes' VAR, UEFA statement, Slot sent mixed verdicts

CommentsSportMark Wakefield Sport Central Audience Writer11:13, 11 Mar 2026Updated 11:35, 11 Mar 2026Liverpool have been given several verdicts on Ibrahima Konate’s disallowed goal in their disappointing defeat against Galatasaray. The below-par Reds suffered a 1-0 loss to the Turkish club in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday night.

Arne Slot thought Liverpool had equalised against Galatasaray to cancel out an early header from Mario Lemina, with Konate finding the back of the net.

UEFA confirmed in a statement the explanation as to why Konate’s goal was disallowed. “Goal disallowed - handball offence,” UEFA stated. “Liverpool player, No.5 [Konate], directly scored the goal with his right arm.”

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The incident has since been the subject of intense debate, with some backing the referee and others, including a former PGMOL chief, feeling Liverpool were hard done by.

Former Premier League referee and PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has explained why, after watching new clips back of Konate’s disallowed goal, he believes the effort should have been allowed to stand, claiming the defender did not handball it on purpose.

“It would appear that Konate was penalised for handball. Given the video clips available, I would suggest that this is a very harsh decision,” Hackett told Football Insider.

“The ball may have struck the arm of Konate. I do not see this has a deliberate action. I do not believe that Konate has made his body shape larger.

“The ball did not go directly into goal from his hand and arm in a deliberate or accidental manner.”

However, another former Premier League referee has disagreed with Hackett's view, with Konate's disallowed goal continuing to divide opinion.

“There is no doubt that Ibrahima Konate does touch the ball with his arm,” Clattenburg said.

“While it’s an accidental contact, the laws are clear that the goal must be cancelled and handball should be punished if the ball goes into the goal without it being touched by a teammate.”

Slot was clear to express his disappointment after the defeat to Galatasaray, pointing to a lack of clinical finishing in front of goal as a reason for the loss.

"It's bad déjà vu, you could say,” Slot told UEFA. “The score is the same as the match three months ago. But we played a game where we could have scored much more.

“We created many chances; we missed many. We were really good in the first 15 minutes. But we couldn't find the goal."

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