Kovacs awards Saudi Pro League penalty for the handball he missed in Barça-Atlético

Istvan Kovacs is back at the centre of the refereeing debate. The Romanian official awarded a penalty for a Kalidou Koulibaly handball during Thursday's Saudi Pro League clash between Al Khaleej and Al Hilal, an action almost identical to the one he failed to punish in Barcelona-Atlético Madrid on April 8. That decision at Montjuïc infuriated Barcelona, and now, with UEFA hardening its line, the same type of play ends in a spot-kick.

• Kovacs gave Al Khaleej a penalty after Koulibaly handled the ball following a short pass from goalkeeper Bounou.
• The sequence was remarkably similar to Marc Pubill's handball in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.
• Barcelona lost that match 0-2 and went out despite winning the second leg 1-2.
• UEFA refereeing chief Roberto Rosetti confirmed on Thursday that such handballs must always be sanctioned.
• Barcelona's formal complaint to UEFA was not admitted.

Koulibaly's handball in Saudi Arabia that Kovacs did punish

In the 64th minute of Al Khaleej-Al Hilal, Yassine Bounou played the ball out with his foot. Kalidou Koulibaly, convinced he had to start the possession himself, stopped the ball with his hand. Kovacs had no doubt this time: he pointed to the spot without booking the Ivorian defender. Musa Barrow took the penalty but failed to convert it.

The sequence is striking because it reproduces almost exactly what happened only a week earlier at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. There, with the score at 0-1, Marc Pubill did the same thing after Juan Musso played it short. Kovacs appeared ready to whistle, took two steps towards the box and raised the whistle to his mouth, but ultimately let play continue.

What happened in the Barcelona-Atlético Champions League quarter-final

On April 8, Barcelona hosted Atlético Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie. The Pubill incident occurred with Atlético leading 1-0. Had Kovacs awarded the penalty, the Catalan side would have had the chance to level a match that eventually slipped away in a 0-2 defeat.

In the second leg at the Metropolitano, Barça won 2-1, but it was not enough to overturn the tie. The team was eliminated from the Champions League, and the officiating at Montjuïc remained one of the main talking points of their exit.

UEFA changes handball criteria after the ball is in play

On Thursday, before the Champions League draw at the Grimaldi Forum in Montecarlo, Roberto Rosetti made UEFA's new position clear. "We needed to close this chapter. We do not want to attack the spirit of the game. We are tired of interpretations and that is how they will end. We need to be consistent and it does not matter if there are other players nearby or not," said the head of UEFA's refereeing committee.

The message is direct: once the ball is in play, if a player touches it with his hand inside the area, the sanction must be a penalty. There is no longer room for debate about intention, the proximity of opponents or how the play develops afterwards. Kovacs, as a UEFA-affiliated referee, is already applying those guidelines in the matches he officiates.

The Barcelona complaint that UEFA did not admit

Following the Montjuïc episode, FC Barcelona sent a formal complaint to European football's governing body. The club expressed its dissatisfaction with what it considered refereeing conduct contrary to the regulations in force, with a direct impact on how the match unfolded and on its final result.

In its letter, Barcelona argued that Kovacs' decision, combined with the lack of VAR intervention, represented a major error. The club requested an investigation, access to the refereeing communications and, where appropriate, official acknowledgement of the mistakes and the adoption of appropriate measures. UEFA did not admit the claim.

A uniform criteria for Europe and its referees abroad

The guideline change affects all match officials connected to UEFA, including those involved in domestic competitions on other continents or in leagues such as the Saudi Pro League. Kovacs put it into practice immediately in Al Khaleej-Al Hilal, and the difference from what happened in Barcelona is obvious: same action, different decision.

The controversy is not limited to the clash between Barça and Atlético. UEFA had long faced criticism over inconsistent handball decisions inside the box. With Rosetti's public intervention, the organisation is aiming to end a debate that resurfaces every Champions League season, especially in the knockout rounds.

Frequently asked questions about Kovacs' penalty and the handball rule