Fenerbahce’s controversial penalty in their 2-1 second-leg defeat to Nottingham Forest has come under fire from former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett, who claims the decision should never have been awarded.
The incident, which saw Kerem Akturkoglu go down in the box under minimal contact from Jair Cunha, allowed Fenerbahce to pull a goal back on aggregate, briefly putting pressure on Forest despite their commanding 3-0 first-leg advantage. Hackett told Football Insider that the Turkish international “deceived the referee” to win the spot-kick.
A Soft Contact, A Controversial Call
The penalty occurred shortly after halftime, with both Akturkoglu and Cunha contesting a loose ball. Video replays indicate very little contact between the two players’ feet, yet the forward went to ground quickly, prompting referee Maurizio Mariani to point to the spot. VAR confirmed the decision, much to the frustration of the City Ground faithful.
Hackett, reflecting on the incident, said:
“There is frankly a lack of honesty from the player who, in my opinion, has gone to ground far too easily in order to deceive the referee. He has succeeded in achieving this.”
He continued, highlighting a common tactic in acts of simulation:
“We see the attacking player looking for the slightest of contact before going to ground. On occasions, the attacker even manufactures contact in order to win penalty kicks. I would not have awarded a penalty kick for this action by the attacker who clips his own legs to buy the penalty kick.”
Forest Hold Their Nerve
Despite the scare, Forest regained control through a composed strike from Callum Hudson-Odoi midway through the second half, securing their progression into the Europa League round of 16. The home side’s aggregate advantage proved too strong for Fenerbahce, who had threatened briefly thanks to the disputed penalty.
Round of 16 Await
Nottingham Forest now await the winner of the tie between Real Betis and FC Midtjylland in the round of 16. The draw will be made on Friday at 12pm GMT and broadcast live on TNT Sports, Discovery+, and via UEFA’s website and YouTube channels.
The fixtures are scheduled for 12 March at the City Ground for the first leg, followed by the return leg on 19 March. Forest will be keen to build on their solid European showing and ensure that controversial decisions do not derail their campaign.
While the penalty will be debated by pundits and fans alike, Hackett’s analysis adds fuel to the argument that Forest were unfortunate not to have seen a clean sheet preserved, further emphasising the fine margins in European competition.