šØ Pep Guardiola on Belgiumās late penalty:
š£ļø Reporter:
āWhat did you make of the penalty?ā
š£ļø Pep Guardiola:
āI always say football should be decided by football. Senegal had defended with incredible discipline for almost the entire match. To see such a soft contact become the defining moment is very difficult for everyone to understand.ā
āIf the contact is not absolutely clear, I donāt think you decide a World Cup knockout match with a penalty in the final moments. Let the players decide it themselves.ā
āSenegal earned the right to keep fighting. Belgium earned the right to keep attacking. In games like this, I prefer the result to come from the quality of the football, not from one controversial decision.ā
āWhen two teams have sacrificed so much, one whistle should never become bigger than everything that happened over ninety minutes.ā
āOf course the referee has to make decisions, and I respect that. But these are the moments that leave people talking about officiating instead of the football. Nobody wants that.ā
āIf you cannot say with complete certainty that it is a penalty, then donāt give it. At this level, every decision carries enormous consequences.#b