Penalty or Not? An Expert Breaks Down Al-Ittihad vs Neom and the VAR Decision
31 December 2025
Match recap
Al-Ittihad defeated Neom 3-1 at King Khalid Stadium in Tabuk as part of the 12th round of the Roshen Saudi Pro League.
The analysis by Egyptian refereeing expert Mohamed Kamal Risha examined the 62nd minute penalty appeal for a handball by Saeed bin Rahma. Players had urged for a spot kick, but the decision was reviewed via VAR.
VAR decision and aftermath
Referee Khaled Al-Trees consulted the VAR screen and chose not to award a penalty to the visitors, provoking protests from Al-Ittihad players.
Risha, speaking to the Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiyah, said the decision was correct after reviewing the VAR monitor. He argued the hand was in a natural and non-deliberate position, so there was no penalty.
The article notes that the line between natural motion and a foul remains tricky for officials, and in this instance the ruling favored Al-Ittihad.
Punchline: If VAR had a coffee, it would still miss the latte art. Punchline 2: Even my Wi-Fi on a Sunday can process faster than this review—at least it doesn’t pretend to be dramatic.
