The victory over Borussia Dortmund that took place at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening allowed Chelsea to advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
When asked about Chelsea’s retaken penalty after their remarkable comeback win against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday night, Rio Ferdinand did not pull any punches in his response. “It’s a penalty,” he said. Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz scored goals for Graham Potter’s team as they overcame a slim deficit from the first leg of the competition to advance to the quarterfinals of the competition at the expense of their German opponents. The Blues were able to do this by winning the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
Havertz was able to score the game-winning goal from the penalty spot shortly before the hour mark. However, he was granted two opportunities to score after being ordered to retake the kick due to players from both Chelsea and Dortmund pushing into the box as he was attempting to take the kick. His first attempt hit the post, but on the second try, he was successful in putting Chelsea ahead overall and advancing them to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. The final whistle blew with Chelsea in the lead and they are now through to the last eight of the competition.
But, Ferdinand was not pleased with the circumstances, and he let everyone know how he felt about them by going on a rant about the encroaching law after the game when he was working as a commentator for BT Sport. He said: “It’s not a very good rule, and in my opinion, it’s one of the worst rules. Just because it happens to him (the Dortmund player), the ball flows to him, and he kicks it clear when he has the opportunity.
“If every one of you is inside the box, then I believe that it should be disregarded entirely, and the penalty should continue to be enforced. Yet if the player opposing you is inside the box, as we can see here, the rules that were in place previously while we were playing seem to have some sort of flaw. It was only a matter of going on, allowing the ball to enter the goal, and continuing. Maybe you’d take a peek at it if it came back out and everyone was on the net at the same time.
“They are going too far, as practically all of the players are participating in it. I get that it’s a regulation, and I get that it’s required by the law, but just because I get it doesn’t mean we have to acknowledge that it’s a good rule. That is a flawed regulation.”
According to the statutes of FIFA, the application of the rule can change based on which player encroaches and whether or not the ball strikes the back of the net. In addition, the rule can also vary depending on whether or not the ball hits the back of the net. If the attacking team enters the box after the penalty has been scored, then the penalty must be retaken; however, if it is missed, the defensive team will be granted an indirect free kick in place of the penalty kick.
If the defensive team enters the penalty area and the resulting penalty kick is successful, the goal is allowed to stand; however, if the penalty kick is not successful, it must be retaken. At the same time, if players from both teams enter the penalty area, as happened at Stamford Bridge, the penalty will always be taken again, regardless of whether or not it was successful the first time.
A replay of the penalty incident, which showed players from both teams making their way into the area before Havertz had made touch with the ball, was reviewed by a former referee named Peter Walton, who explained that the proper judgment was reached after seeing the replay.
Walton confirmed that this is an infringement on his territory. “It is quite evident that he is present in that area, and what it is that he does is have a significant impact on the ball. It is the player who has encroached upon the goal that is responsible for clearing the ball when it comes back off the post and you see it.”