Kylian Mbappé is blaming the Argentine referee for missing the penalty
Kylian Mbappé has blamed Argentine referee Facundo Tello for missing an early penalty during France's match against Morocco. According to the French captain, the lengthy delay caused by the VAR review disrupted his concentration just before he took the spot-kick.
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xtra Time Web Desk: Kylian Mbappé has blamed Argentine referee Facundo Tello for missing an early penalty during France's match against Morocco. According to the French captain, the lengthy delay caused by the VAR review disrupted his concentration just before he took the spot-kick.
After France were awarded a penalty, Mbappé was preparing to take the shot when play was halted for a VAR check. He claimed that the referee took too much time to reach a decision, which affected his focus.
Speaking after the match, Mbappé said, "I didn't take the penalty well. It was a difficult situation. There was a lot of confusion. Just as I was about to take the kick, the referee came over and said it wasn't a penalty. That completely broke my concentration. I've never experienced anything like that before."
Mbappé showed his frustration on the pitch after missing the penalty. France's bench also expressed their displeasure over the prolonged VAR discussions during the game.
France head coach Didier Deschamps also commented on the incident after the match.
Deschamps said, "I thought the review had already been completed and the referee had upheld the penalty decision. But then it was reviewed several more times, and the entire process took around two minutes. The biggest issue was the prolonged uncertainty. It disrupted his concentration. I'm not making excuses, but it was certainly a very difficult situation."
Overall, the French camp was left deeply frustrated by the handling of the VAR review and the events surrounding the missed penalty.
