Alisson Fined £8,000 for Outburst After Controversial Penalty
Alisson Becker has been hit with an £8,000 fine by the Football Association after the Liverpool goalkeeper lost his temper in the aftermath of a controversial penalty decision.
The incident unfolded after the final whistle, with Alisson heading towards the tunnel still seething over the spot-kick awarded against him for a foul on Neco Williams. As he made his way off the pitch, his frustration boiled over and he took it out on the fourth official’s electronic numbers board, which had already been at the centre of a chaotic few minutes.
In a statement, the FA confirmed the charge and punishment: the goalkeeper “acted in an improper manner around the tunnel area after the final whistle”. Alisson accepted the misconduct charge and received what the FA described as the standard penalty.
His anger stemmed from a decision that has since been officially deemed incorrect. Referee Sam Barrott pointed to the spot after Williams had got his shot away and only then collided with Alisson, the contact coming after the ball had already been released.
The build-up to the flashpoint was messy. The fourth official’s numbers board malfunctioned as Andoni Iraola tried to make a triple substitution, causing a delay and adding to the sense of confusion on the touchline. Moments later, the penalty was awarded, and Liverpool’s goalkeeper erupted.
Now the Key Match Incident (KMI) Panel has ruled that Barrott’s decision to give the penalty was wrong, a verdict that will do little to change the record but does place Alisson’s fury in a different light.
The fine stands. So does the sense that one of the Premier League’s calmest goalkeepers reached his limit on a night when the technology and the officiating both let the game down.
