Chapter 950: VAR Coming to the Rescue!

"Wait, what is going on here?!"

The most confused one was, of course, Malick Thiaw. After all, he was the one who took action earlier, and the boy didn’t feel like he had done any foul that warranted a whistle to be blown by the referee.

However, in the next second, his face turned pale as the man pointed straight at the penalty spot behind him.

"A hand is active when blocking the ball, and it hit the upper part of the arm. On-site decision: a penalty kick for FC K?ln!"

This was like lightning striking the whole team out of the blue, as everyone was so shocked when they heard what the referee said. Of course, the one who reacted first was the victim here, as Malick Thiaw rushed in panic.

"What the hell is a handball?! The ball hits my ribs! My ribs!" He pointed at his jersey, especially the spot where a trace of dirt was there.

Omar Mascarell dragged the boy back instantly, knowing that any excessive complaining would only backfire on the team. However, that didn’t mean he would just stay quiet here.

"Your position is behind the shooter, so how could you determine that it was a handball? That is unfair to us, you know?"

Even Higo himself joined in. "It was clear that Malick’s hands were already on his back when the shot was blocked, so how could you say that it was active? Are you kidding me?!"

This surprised everyone else, as Higo usually didn’t join any complaints and just waited inside the box.

Still, the goalkeeper witnessed everything clearly, and it wouldn’t be okay if he kept quiet while letting himself suffer from this injustice.

The referee also couldn’t help but frown, stepping back a little while trying his best to get him a little space from the pressure surrounding him.

Honestly, if it was last season, no one would dare to complain so excessively straight to his face. After all, once the decision stood, there was no way it could be changed at all.

Still, he knew what Schalke players wanted here. They tried his best to get him to check the VAR, that even if the decision stood, they would be able to stale time and distract the opponent’s taker even for a bit.

’As if it would work. I don’t have any obligation to accept all of your requests here.’ The man snorted inwardly.

However, before he could make any decision, the VAR referee sent a message through the communication device in his ears, enough to make him pause for a second before saying anything else.

"Yes... Really? I swear, it happened there... Yes, yes, I will check it first."

All the Schalke players were so tense as they waited for the man to take action. Some eavesdropped, and once they heard the keywords in that conversation, their eyes lit up instantly.

"The decision is to be delayed first! VAR check is needed!"

Once the words were spoken, it seemed that a huge burden was suddenly relieved from everyone’s shoulders on Schalke’s side.

"YES! COME ON, VAR!"

"Hahaha! Good job!"

Even though no one still knew what was going on here, they still celebrated this decision as if they were so sure that the VAR would stand behind them.

Hell, even Frohling also exchanged high-fives with Waldoch on the sideline, not bothering to press the fourth referee like he usually did in this kind of moment.

Meanwhile, on FC K?ln’s side, they also couldn’t help but frown, getting ready to complain if the final decision didn’t favor them.

As for the referee, he checked the footage on the sideline, watching carefully how the incident unfolded.

’Yeah, the penalty is clear. It still hits the upper side of his left arm. But the incident happens... Wait, can I change the camera’s angle? Ah! Here it is! Yes, the incident happened in front of the penalty box, just a few centimeters away from it! This is not a penalty!’

Yeah, what he checked was whether this was anything other than a handball. No, it was because the VAR referee saw that Malick Thiaw was slightly outside of the box and just fell inside after blocking the shot, so it should just be a free kick for the away team.

Once the decision stood and was announced, though, it was clear that both teams were far from being satisfied with this.

"Wait, what do you mean that it was still a fucking handball?!"

"Just a free kick?! Are you kidding me?! Look, the trace of his butts is still inside of the box!"

Yeah, at this point, no one really got what they wanted here, so it was clear they tried to push their luck with more complaints.

Unfortunately, this time, the referee didn’t even budge, glaring at them one by one to back down and give him some space.

"The decision has already been checked by VAR, and everyone could see the footage from their home! Do you think complaining here would make you good? No, you are just being stubborn and foolish!"

The moaners and complainers shut up instantly, knowing that they couldn’t do anything about the decision. In the end, Malick Thiaw just came to Higo with a dejected face.

"Sorry, Higo, this is my fault..."

"Eh, don’t worry about it." Higo just brushed off his concern nonchalantly. "It is already good that this is not a penalty. Don’t worry, I will be able to stop it!"

This wasn’t just a boastful statement from Higo. As he punched his gloves and set up the wall in front of him, the boy took a deep breath as well, trying to get his brain to work harder than ever to give him the image that he wanted.

’Come on, brain... This is your time to shine...’

The one who would execute it was Ellyes Skhiri, the creative midfielder who was also the opponent’s best player. With only half a step behind the penalty box, this was definitely the best place to have a free kick.

The man himself eyed the top corner of the far post for a moment, as if he was about to target it. Still, Higo didn’t think too much about this subtle gesture.

No, he knew that everything could be a deception in this moment.

’Now... Where are you going to send the ball?’

FWEEE!

Once the referee blew the whistle, the image finally arrived. Then, at that moment, Higo couldn’t help but widen his eyes, not expecting Skhiri to choose this approach to execute the free kick.

’A low shot below the wall? Left side, shit!’

BAM!