In the Champions League final
Penalty turmoil surrounding German referee Siebert – right?
May 30, 2026 – 10:30 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Daniel Siebert has to solve some tricky situations in the final. There is a lot of excitement at Arsenal because of one scene in particular.
Berlin’s Daniel Siebert was highly praised for his performance as a referee in Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-3 win in the Champions League final against Arsenal London. “That was advertising for the German refereeing system. There is inhumane pressure on a final like this,” said ZDF expert and ex-Bundesliga referee Torsten Kinhöfer.
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He “exuded authority” and was “always present” in the “unpopular decisions,” praised Kinhöfer. And there were quite a few of these decisions.
Situation 1: After Arsenal defender Cristhian Mosquera fouled PSG star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, he awarded a penalty. “This is absolutely the right decision. And it is powerful to see it in real speed,” assessed Kinhöfer during the ZDF broadcast. Ousmane Dembélé converted the penalty to make it 1-1.
And Arsenal were even lucky in this situation. Mosquera had already been warned by Siebert at the beginning of the second half for time play. He could have sent the defender off the field after the foul.
Situation 2: In the 102nd minute, Arsenal vehemently demanded a penalty. Arsenal’s Noni Madueke went into a running duel with PSG defender Nuno Mendes and fell in the penalty area. The Londoners around coach Mikel Arteta and captain Declan Rice vehemently called for a penalty and VAR intervention. But Siebert stuck to his decision – and instead showed both of them the yellow card.
For ZDF expert Kinhöfer it was a “difficult scene”, but he followed Siebert’s assessment. “He’s in an optimal position and made the decision straight away. Both hold, both pull. In the Champions League final, that’s not a penalty.”
Situation 3: In the 120th minute, Arsenal attacker Viktor Gyökeres shot again from the edge of the penalty area, the ball deflected off PSG defender Willian Pacho and went out of bounds. Arsenal coach Arteta patted himself on the arm several times on the sideline and called for a penalty.
