“Dessers Stuns Fans with What Bilbao Defender Whispered After Controversial Penalty Call. What he told him will leave you speechless
Furious Dessers Claims Bilbao Star Admitted Shirt Pull Should’ve Been Punished
Cyriel Dessers has slammed the decision not to award Rangers a penalty during their Europa League defeat to Athletic Bilbao—insisting that Dani Vivian privately admitted he should have been penalised for ripping his shirt.
The Nigerian striker was left furious after referee Irfan Peljto, following a brief VAR check, waved play on, with UEFA concluding there was no foul. But that decision baffled pundits and former officials alike, with a frustrated Ally McCoist pointing out that the Premier League’s head of refereeing was watching from the stands at San Mames.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Dessers shared his disbelief over the incident: “The ball deflects into the box and I go for it because I think I can get there,” he explained. “You can’t rip a shirt in the box—it’s not allowed anywhere on the pitch, let alone in the area. It was a game-changing moment.”
He also revealed frustration over a yellow card he received during the aftermath: “I got booked for coming back on the pitch after changing my shirt. I was just trying to get back into position, and I’ve no idea why that warranted a booking. The referee did show me some understanding afterward, though.”
But the key moment, Dessers insists, came in a conversation with Vivian after the match: “He admitted it was a penalty,” the striker claimed. “Everyone saw what happened. It’s just unfortunate—we could’ve done more, but we were on the wrong end of the decisions today.”
He also mentioned another controversial moment in the second half involving a possible handball, saying, “There was another shout later on too, but that’s football. It didn’t go our way.”
