Aston Villa star Tyrone Mings had a nightmare debut in the Champions League after conceding one of the most bizarre penalties of all time.
Villa had won all three of their matches in the prestigious tournament going into their fourth game against Club Brugge.
After a goalless first half, Villa had a goal kick moments after the break.
Emi Martinez passed the ball to Mings in the box, who inexplicably bent down to touch the ball.
Tyrone Mings grabbed the ball, not knowing that Emi Martinez had just taken a goal kick
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The defender did not realise that the ball was now in play as he thought he was going to take the goal kick.
But referee Tobias Stieler blew for a penalty for handball, with VAR confirming the decision.
Fans could not believe their eyes as Hans Vanaken converted the penalty, the first goal Villa have conceded in the Champions League.
One fan wrote: “Tyrone Mings just gave away the stupidest penalty for handball I’ve ever seen.”
Another said: “That’s the stupidest penalty you will see all season. Idiotic from Mings.”
While a third posted: “Tyrone Mings, what are you doing.”
This fan said: “Tyrone Mings has to be trolling. Wtf was he doing.”
While this fan put: “I don’t even want to talk about this penalty conceded by Tyrone Mings.”
Club Brugge took the lead against Aston Villa in bizarre circumstances
Reuters
A similar incident happened to Arsenal last season when Gabriel handled in the box when David Raya rolled a goal kick out to him.
Like Mings, the Brazilian did not know that the ball was in play when he bent over to touch it.
However, on that occasion, referee Glenn Nyberg refused to give a penalty despite the blatant handball and Bayern Munich then-boss Thomas Tuchel accused the match official of lacking ‘courage’.
He went on to say that the referee had told him after the match that he should have given a penalty, but did not award one because it was an honest mistake.
Club Brugge are awarded a penalty after Tyrone Mings picks the ball up inside his own area 😳
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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 6, 2024
“I think the referee did not have the courage to give a deserved penalty today in a bit of a crazy and awkward situation,” Tuchel told TNT Sports afterwards.
“He admitted on the pitch that he saw the situation and that quarter-final is not enough for him to give a penalty, for a kid’s mistake. He admitted he saw the mistake the player made.
“It was a goal kick, the goalkeeper passed to a central defender and one touched the ball with the hand because he thought it was not in game but it was in game and the referee admitted it was in game and was handball. Very frustrating.”