Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has shed light on why Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk escaped a penalty call against Bayer Leverkusen in Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Anfield.
Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong went down in the box after Van Dijk’s challenge, sparking appeals for a penalty.
However, referee Danny Makkelie waved away the claims, and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) upheld the decision.
Clattenburg, who refereed the 2016 Champions League and Euros finals, analyzed the incident on Amazon Prime Video:
“Virgil van Dijk does make contact with his shin, but then [Frimpong] goes one or two more steps forward before he goes down. That is why the VAR hasn’t got involved.”
Clattenburg emphasized that Frimpong’s hesitation was key in the referee’s decision:
“It was his first big decision… [Frimpong] hesitates before hitting the deck.”
Leverkusen had possession of the ball but was unable to threaten Liverpool’s goal when the incident happened in the 24th minute.
