Football fans across the globe had mixed reactions after Karim Benzema’s goal was ruled out for offside in the finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Games of such nature and magnitude are always characterized by defining moments which affect the destiny of the game and this season’s finals witnessed a similar incident.
After a frantic start to the game by Liverpool, Real Madrid managed to neutralize their English opponents and came closest to breaking the duck just before halftime.
Skipper and talisman Karim Benzema slotted home from close range, however, his unconfounded joy of putting Madrid ahead was shortlived when his goal was ruled out for offside after referee Clement Turpin disallowed the goal on the advice of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
The decision by the French referee caused a massive debate among football fans monitoring the grand finale.
Real Madrid are chasing a record-extending 14th Champions League trophy while Liverpool will be looking forward to equaling AC Milan’s record of seven titles.
How did football fans react after Benzema’s goal was disallowed?
What do the rules say about Offside?
According to Law 11 of the rules of the game, a player is in an offside position if:
“any part of the head, body or feet is in the opponent’s half (excluding the halfway line) and,”
“any part of the head, body or feet is nearer to the opponent’s goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent.”
“The hands and arms of all players, including the goalkeepers, are not considered. For the purposes of determining offside, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit.”
