Share

Cech happy with sneaky goal

London - Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech claims referee Anthony Taylor was right not to rule out Eden Hazard's controversial equaliser in the London club's 4-1 win over Cardiff City.

WRAP: English Premiership

With the hosts trailing 1-0 in Saturday's Premier League game at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o stole possession from Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall as he bounced the ball, enabling Hazard to score.

The laws of the game state that a goalkeeper is deemed to be in control of the ball when he bounces it, meaning that the goal should not have stood.

Cardiff manager Malky Mackay expressed his disappointment with the decision after the game, accusing Taylor of a "horrendous error", but Cech felt it was not a clear-cut situation.

"It's always a difficult question, when you lose control or don't lose control," said Cech, who made his 300th league appearance in the game.

"What I know is that if you throw the ball to kick it out, nobody can touch you because it counts as one motion.

"In terms of bouncing, it's not one motion, so it's totally up to the referee to decide whether the goalkeeper had control of the ball or not.

"The referee had the perfect view of it, he was very close and he decided to give it.

"In this case you have to go with the referee.

"It's an unusual situation, but as long as the referee is happy with it, the goal is in."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1818 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1779 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE