The refereeing team for Newcastle’s Champions League fixture against Benfica includes the VAR who was removed from duties after a controversial penalty was given against the Magpies in Paris two years ago.
Tomasz Kwiatkowski will return to VAR duties, a year and 11 months after giving a contentious handball against Tino Livramento at Parc des Princes, which Kylian Mbappe put away in the dying moments of the game.
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He was sensationally dropped by UEFA days later, being removed from the group of officials overseeing Real Sociedad v Red Bull Salzburg.
Magpies legend Alan Shearer blasted the decision in the wake of the draw, taking to X to say: “Do me a f****** favour man. What a load of s***.
“A superb battling away performance from every single player. Shouldn’t be spoilt by a disgusting decision.”
Newcastle’s second Champions League game of the season at St James’ Park comes against Benfica.(Image: Web)
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Eddie Howe’s side welcome Jose Mourinho’s Benfica to St James’ Park on Tuesday night and will see a familiar face from their last European campaign on the pitch too, with referee from that same night in Paris, Szymon Marciniak, returning to adjudicate the affair.
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Marciniak will be hoping for a less dramatic night, but with Master of the Dark Arts Mourinho returning to the home of his mentor ‘Mister Robson’, he could have his hands full.
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Howe, who said in a television interview that Marciniak had been placed under “extreme” pressure by the PSG players, labelled the Livramento handball decision “poor” in his post-match press conference and will be hoping that a win could reignite a spark in his team after a disappointing loss to Brighton at the weekend.
Newcastle have only played Benfica twice competitively, with those games coming in the Europa League quarter final in April 2013. Benfica progressed 4-2 on aggregate, but were held to a draw on Tyneside.