Poland's football association, the PZPN, has ruled that referee Jarosław Przybył made the correct call in denying Korona Kielce a penalty during their 1-1 draw with Legia Warszawa.
Korona coach Jacek Zieliński said after the match that it was a shame about the penalty situation, adding he had not seen a more obvious penalty in a long time. The incident happened in the 43rd minute, when a shot from Michael Fassbender struck the arm of Legia's Robert Deziel Jr. inside the penalty area before hitting the crossbar. Neither Przybył nor the VAR judged it a foul.
Referee explains decision
Przybył said the situation was fairly dynamic, with the shot coming from close range and striking the arm in a natural position close to the body. He said he stopped play once the ball went out for a corner, and that VAR confirmed the situation had been checked and no penalty was warranted.
PZPN backs the call
The PZPN's Referees Committee reviewed the incident and found no infringement, saying the defender had no time to react given his proximity to the shooter and that his arm was positioned naturally without unnaturally widening his body's outline.
Legia remain top of the Ekstraklasa with seven points, though several matches in the round are still to be played. The draw was Korona's second match of the season and their first point, leaving them 15th in the table, just above the relegation zone.
