12.03.2026 10:31
The penalty decision made by Halil Umut Meler in the final minutes of the Bayer Leverkusen–Arsenal match sparked controversy, and the Leverkusen side reacted strongly to the decision.
FIFA-licensed Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler, who officiated the match between Bayer Leverkusen and Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, became a topic of discussion with his penalty decision in the final minutes of the match. The position in which Arsenal equalized drew significant reactions from the German side.
THE PENALTY DECIDED THE FATE OF THE MATCH
In the match played in Germany, Bayer Leverkusen led the game 1-0 for a long time. However, a situation that occurred in the final moments changed the course of the match.
During an Arsenal attack, Noni Madueke entered the penalty area from the right diagonal. After Madueke fell to the ground following a duel with Bayer Leverkusen's Alejandro Grimaldo, Halil Umut Meler pointed to the penalty spot without hesitation.
Kai Havertz, who took the penalty for Arsenal, converted it into a goal in the 89th minute, bringing the score to 1-1. The match ended with this result.
STRONG REACTION FROM LEVERKUSEN
After the match, Bayer Leverkusen's side strongly protested the referee's decision. The German team's head coach Kasper Hjulmand argued that there was no penalty in the situation.
In his post-match statement, Hjulmand said, "There was no contact with Madueke, and then he fell to the ground."
The experienced coach reacted to the decision by emphasizing that the situation was not a penalty, stating, "If the referee hadn't blown the whistle and VAR reviewed it, it wouldn't have been a penalty. I don't see a penalty there."