Kolo Toure: Penalty or not?
Seems luck is always not on Arsene Wenger’s side. After two consecutive 1-1 draws against Liverpool, this time around Liverpool trashed Arsenal 4-2 in the 2nd leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter finals.
To make matters worst, Arsenal should had been given a penalty in the first leg when Hleb was pulled down by Dirk Kuyt in the penalty box but the referee waved play on.
In the second leg, Arsenal was tied 2-2 with Liverpool which means Arsenal will qualify if the results stand but the referee points to the spot when Kolo Toure was judged to pull down Ryan Babel in the box.
It was a soft penalty indeed but from my point of view, it shouldn’t had been a penalty.
Anyway, what do you guys think? Last week we have Hleb’s case and now Kolo Toure’s.
Do you all think that the referee had made the right or wrong decision?
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30 Responses to “Kolo Toure: Penalty or not?”
By Alexander on Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
I think Babel just lost control.. Not penalty.
By tip on Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
hell no. aint no penalty.
By redbaje on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
Fabregas pulls him back with hand clearly grabbing shirt into Toure who jumps up over onto his back and finishes up kicking his trailing heal causing him to fall in the box… if that aint a penalty well we should all change our names to Wenger.
By john on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
Definitely not a penalty. Poor Arsenal…
By Jon on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
i AGREE IT WAS A PENALTY FABREGAS CAUSED IT TO BE A PENALTY WHEN HE PULLED ON BABEL. THAT’S WHY HE DIDN’T COMPLAIN TO THE REFEREE. THINK ABOUT IT HE JUST HELD HIS HEAD HE KNEW IT WAS HIS FAULT COME ON YOU COULD CLEARLY SEE THAT TOURE JUS MADE THE MATTER WORST BY JUMPING ON ALL OVER BABEL.
By faramawy on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
I think there was no penalty
By agohoonsay on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
It’s very hard to see, but Toure pushed Babel with his left forearm (it was just in the moment, when he was falling down after his jump over Babel’s back) - it was a penalty.
By Cristiano Ronaldo on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
I think it was a penalty. A bit harsh on Arsenal but still a penalty. I don’t understand how a player like Kolo Toure can put himself in such a situation. I thought he was smarter than that.
By Tes on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
Some of you are so blind and one sided it’s funny. Even while you contradict yourselves, you sound so sure. One guy says it was Fabregas that pulled him so therefore it IS a penalty. When did the rule that if you get fouled OUTSIDE the box, but go down INSIDE the box it becomes a penalty? That’s a new one on me certainly. Watch the vid again…the part where Kolo os jumping…at no point does he hold or push Babel. What are you lot seeing that I’m not?
By Ken on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
Its a penalty. i agree with redbaje and Jon Fabregas realised it was his fault the action shows it all. Penalty.
By Fernando Torres on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
Penalty all the way, no arguement whatsoever!!
By ahmed on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
thats fuckin no penalty
By mohamed latheef on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
thats bullshit.how come its a penalty
By Fitz on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
Anyone who says that’s a penalty is an idiot. The ref gave for an apparent foul by Toure. That’s why he gave the penalty and also booked Toure. So stop talking about Fabregas he had nothing to do with it. if you look at the video there is almost no contact from Toure who is actually trying to avoid taking him down. And the apparent clipping of the heel, if you stop start the video you can see Babel puts the weight on his right leg and then falls over it to make it look like it was clipped. Babel is a cheat and liverpool don’t deserve to progress. One of the best games I’ve ever seen decided and ruined by cheating. Babel should be banned for the rest of the tournament. If cheats aren’t dealt with the football as a sport and a spectacle is as good as over.
By Poly on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
That was absolutly not penalty, Toure grabbing him out of 16-meters line and then he just jump and want to stay on his feet. I don’t understand people who don’t understand me.
PS: Walcott is the best, I just can’t understand why Wenger wasn’t get him in the first 11 players.
Please excuse my english I tried to write it the best as I can.
By stedaman on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
From a neutral perspective it was definatly a penalty. Very harsh on Arssenal but Toure was an idiot. No need for it, especially with Gallas there. Fabrgas didn’t do much it was Toure who totally knocked Babel off his feet.
The first leg was a pen for Arsenal and wasn’t given so its hard to take.
By jeff on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
babel scored again anyway you idiot
By Ref on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
i was paid to give a penalty…i need to feed my family too u know
By David on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
Fitz says Fabregas had nothing to do with it. But Fabregas started the trouble. His pull on Babel slowed that player down and caused the chain reaction that followed. How he can accuse Babel of cheating is beyond me. Babel had no chance of staying up after being pulled off balance and into the path of another defender who was at full tilt trying to get back to defend the situation. The only argument is whether the foul should have been awarded outisde of the box but presuming advantage was being played Toure ultimately knocked Babel over even if he was trying desprately not to.
By sten on Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
I think it was never a penalty… Babel was only touched by fabregas and that was outside the box. Arsenal were very hard done by in my opinion.
By talkcock on Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
hahah… you’re probably an arsenal supporter if you said it’s not a penalty.
the way i see it is this is a bookie’s game. liverpool fan based over the world are obviously more than arsenal. there’s a lot of money in tv rights and sponsorship for all CL games, what more finals.
By Dro on Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
If that isn’t a penalty, then what is? Kolo Toure was practically hopping on him, it’s disastarous defending, you can see him trying to stay on his feet, if he was an Arsenal player you’d see him flop like a fish, that’s the difference between Hleb’s appeal and this one. Yes Kuyt touched his arm, but the fact is Hleb went looking for it and it could’ve easily have been given, but with this one, Babel tries to stay on his feet but the contact from Fabregas and Toure puts him off balance and causes him to go down. Certain penalty.
By Justice on Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
no penalty Babel is like Ronaldo; a Cheat!!!!
By Tommy on Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
you bloody twats….fagbregas pulled him….Babel lost balance of that…but he was still standing…then toure jumped and touched him….not a lot but that does not matter…it was just matter of time and touch when babel was going down….toure finished the foul…..and that foul was in side the box…what ever you fags say…it was a penalty….if it wasent babel scored…so we won….so all of yall can jump up your cunt´s
By Honest opinion on Apr 11, 2008 | Reply
TO be honest I dont think that was a penatly, the only contact was a brush as Kolo jumped around the back, Babels limbs were all moving all over the place so it looked like Kolo waspulling on him, if you look at the clip you’ll see his arm going one way and legs going the other. To be fair to the ref from his point of view I don’t think he had the best of views of it, when you see it from the side view you can see that there was minimal contact. Last time I checked football was still a contact sport???
By Honest opinion on Apr 11, 2008 | Reply
oh and do you really think if the penalty had not been awarded that the Babel goal still would of happened??
By khaled_sameh on Apr 12, 2008 | Reply
not penaltyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
By stedaman on Apr 13, 2008 | Reply
Toure is too clumsy to play football. Shouldn’t have got so excited. Deffo penalty ^^
He would have stayed on his feet without the presence of Toure…and he did make contact.