Tuesday evening’s victory over Borussia Dortmund at Stamford Bridge allowed Chelsea to move to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Rio Ferdinand did not hold back when asked about Chelsea’s retaken penalty after their stunning comeback victory against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday night. “It’s a punishment,” he stated. Graham Potter’s team recovered a small deficit from the first leg of the competition with goals from Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz to advance to the quarterfinals at the cost of their German opponents. This was made possible by a second-leg victory at Stamford Bridge.
Just before the hour mark, Havertz scored the game-winning goal from the penalty spot. However, he was given two chances to score after being forced to retake the penalty due to Chelsea and Dortmund players pressing into the area as he attempted to take the kick. His initial attempt struck the crossbar, but on his second attempt, he was successful in putting Chelsea ahead and progressing them to the Champions League quarterfinals. The final whistle blew with Chelsea in the lead, advancing them to the competition’s last eight.
But, Ferdinand was dissatisfied with the situation, and he let everyone know how he felt by ranting about the approaching law after the game when he was working as a pundit for BT Sport. He said: “It’s not a really good rule, and in my opinion it’s among the worst. Because it occurs to him (the Dortmund player), the ball flows to him, and he clears it when he has the chance.
“If everyone is within the box, I feel it should be completely disregarded and the penalty should continue to be enforced. Yet, if your opponent is inside the box, as we can see below, the rules that were in effect when we were playing appear to be flawed. It was simply necessary to continue, allow the ball to penetrate the net, and continue. If it was re-released and everyone was online at the same time, you might give it another look.
“They are taking it too far, as virtually all of the players are involved. I understand that it is a regulation and that it is needed by law, but that does not mean that we must acknowledge that it is a good norm. This is a defective regulation.”
According to FIFA rules, the implementation of the rule might vary depending on which player infringes and whether or not the ball enters the goal. In addition, the rule can differ based on whether the ball strikes the back of the net or not. If the attacking team reaches the penalty area after the penalty has been scored, the penalty must be retaken; if it is missed, the defensive team is awarded an indirect free kick.
If the defending team enters the penalty area and the subsequent penalty kick is successful, the goal stands; however, if the penalty kick fails, it must be retaken. Similarly, if players from both sides enter the penalty box, as occurred at Stamford Bridge, the penalty will always be taken again, regardless of whether or not the initial attempt was successful.
Peter Walton, a former referee, studied a replay of the penalty incident, which depicted players from both teams entering the penalty area before Havertz touched the ball, and concluded that the correct decision was made after viewing the replay.
Walton confirmed that this is an infringement on his property. “It is evident that he is present in that area and has a significant impact on the ball. The player who entered the goal area is responsible for clearing the ball when it comes to you after striking the post.”