Penalty Conundrum Settled: Referee Expert Clears Hilal in Saudi Derby

Decision Unfolds in the Saudi Clasico

A recognized refereeing expert settled a dispute over whether Al Hilal earned a penalty in the Saudi Pro League clash against Al Ittihad.

The match took place at Kingdom Arena, with Hilal pressing in the first half as the controversy unfolded in the 34th minute.

Hilal players argued a handball by Al Ittihad defender Ahmed Sharahili inside the box, but the on-field official waved play on.

Egyptian referee analyst Mohamed Kamal Risha praised Spanish referee Ricardo De Burgos for the decision, saying the ball did not reach a penalty-worthy level.

In an interview with Al Riyadh newspaper, Risha explained that the contact was incidental and the body position did not create a clear scoring chance.

The piece underscores the need for measured judgment in tight derby calls, hoping for clarity in future debates.

Punchline time: If penalties were jokes, this debate would have a thousand punchlines and still nobody would admit the joke is over. And remember, in football as in life, sometimes the referee’s whistle is just the universe saying, “Let’s keep it moving.”