Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has jokingly suggested the only way players can avoid falling foul of new handball regulations would be to chop their arms off.
The rules played a huge part in City's 2-2 draw with Tottenham on Saturday, as a late strike from Gabriel Jesus was eventually ruled out after VAR saw the ball inadvertently deflect off Aymeric Laporte's arm in the build-up.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! pic.twitter.com/EPCfgLZFS6
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 17, 2019
Speaking after the game via The Sun, De Bruyne confessed he was not the biggest fan of VAR, adding that it was impossible for Laporte to avoid making contact with the ball.
He said:
“There’s nothing he can do because Nicolas Otamendi is in front of him by 10cm and trying to head the ball.
“We knew it was being reviewed - every goal is reviewed - but I didn’t know why and Tottenham didn’t know why. The rules should be clear. If the ball had touched somebody of Tottenham’s arm it’s not a penalty, but if it touched our arm it is not allowed!
“It should go both ways in something like that. I don’t understand that as a player. It’s so confusing.”
In the FA's new rules, Law 12 states that a foul must be given if a goalscoring opportunity is created after the ball strikes a player's hand, inadvertently or otherwise. However, there is no regulation for if the ball strikes a defender's arm in the same situation.
Today's VAR decision is really hard to take. Any attacker that commits handball, intentional or not, is now ruled a free kick?? And if you’re defending it’s fine?? It only disadvantages the attacking team.
— Ilkay Gündogan (@IlkayGuendogan) August 17, 2019
In my opinion this rule needs to be changed. #MCITOT pic.twitter.com/TtPsB96FD0
City teammate Ilkay Gundogan added:
Source : 90min