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Barca v Napoli Koulibaly foul

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Bart90

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Hey everyone,

I'm no ref by any means, but I would love to get some opinions from professionals, as I'm still questioning myself whether this is Koulibaly's foul or not.

Here is the footage:

Let's assume for a second this happened in the opposite box. Napoli player is trying to take a shot on goal and Barca defender puts a foot in last second, does not touch the ball and gets kicked in the leg, causing both players to fall. Would it still be Napoli's player foul instead of penalty?
 
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Foul... Messi gets kicked, that's it
It's accidental of course, Koulibaly is undeniably trying to kick the ball, but the game expects a foul, so we'd have to deem Koulibaly's action as 'careless'
 
Koulibaly kicks Messi. That is not disputed here. Is it a foul? Only if it is careless, reckless or URF. Simple really.

'Careless is when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution."

fits the definition perfectly. Intent is not in question. Koulibaly must pay attention as a player and take precautions accordingly. In this case he did not pay attention to Messi approaching and possibility of playing the ball first.

I give you a slightly more extreme but reletively common example. Long arial ball for a striker coming overhead. Striker, breaking the offside trap 25 yards from goal, looking at the flight of the ball all the way as it goes over his head. He jumps trying to trap it in front with his foot 6 feet up. Last he knew the keeper was 20 yards away on the 6 yard line. He is completely unaware the keeper has now run up and challenging with a header. Striker studs the keeper in the face. No intent but again it is lack of attention / awareness that gets the striker here. And the fact there was a safety issue, it is much more than just careless and considered SFP.
 
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Hey everyone,

I'm no ref by any means, but I would love to get some opinions from professionals, as I'm still questioning myself whether this is Koulibaly's foul or not.

Here is the footage:

Let's assume for a second this happened in the opposite box. Napoli player is trying to take a shot on goal and Barca defender puts a foot in last second, does not touch the ball and gets kicked in the leg, causing both players to fall. Would it still be Napoli's player foul instead of penalty?


Nailed on penalty for all of the reasons described in the replies so far. Situation arisen due to Koulibaly’s dawdling on the ball and the quick brain and feet of Messi.
 
Definite penalty and I was amazed it took VAR almost 5 minutes to get to that conclusion.
 
Let's assume for a second this happened in the opposite box. Napoli player is trying to take a shot on goal and Barca defender puts a foot in last second, does not touch the ball and gets kicked in the leg, causing both players to fall. Would it still be Napoli's player foul instead of penalty?
Except that's not remotely what happened. Before Koulibaly even started his swing for the ball, Messi got his body (or enough of his body, at any rate) in front of the defender and he did play the ball, in a perfectly legitimate manner, away from the Senegal international before he was then carelessly kicked.

See image below of Messi with both feet in front of Koulibaly (at least partially) and about to play the ball, which he then successfully does.

IMG_20200811_082421.png
 

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Clear foul on Messi. I’m not sure what other conclusion could be reached there
 
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