The touch is not punishable because the touch is aimed at closing the ball towards the body, without creating an obstacle. It's therefore a question of movement, with the Milan midfielder not trying to obstruct the ball's trajectory with his arm outstretched to the side, but rather trying to bring it back close to his body to try avoid it.
"It was never my intention to go against the principles of the game I love so much," Thiaw wrote on Instagram on Thursday. "I simply tried to protect my players from injustice. What some may perceive as a violation of the rules is nothing more than an emotional reaction to the bias of the situation. After deliberation, we decided to resume the match and go for the trophy."
We made some significant defensive errors. They finished off the area very easily. We had a bad day. You can't have a bad day defensively against Barcelona.
Chairman Calvin Ford stated on the Livingston website how "frustrated" he was by the decision. "It was a huge moment in the match, particularly having just levelled things moments before, and we firmly believe we should have been awarded a penalty and, with it, a very good chance to take the lead," he said. "We held lengthy conversations with the SFA this week, and the incident has officially been recognised as a mistake. We should have received a penalty.
