Following Manchester City’s 6-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk, Raheem Sterling has reportedly apologized to the referee for a controversial penalty decision. During the match, Sterling appeared to trip himself up in the penalty area, leading to the referee awarding a penalty kick in a peculiar manner.
Manchester City had already taken the lead through David Silva’s goal in the 13th minute when Gabriel Jesus converted the penalty, one of his three goals in the game. Sterling later admitted to BT Sport that he attempted to chip the ball but lost his footing, ending up on the ground without feeling any contact from an opponent.
He described the incident as a mistake on his part, apologizing to the referee and also to the Shakhtar team. Despite the penalty incident, Sterling’s individual goal contributed to Manchester City’s dominant performance, securing three points and the top spot in Group F of the Champions League.
Sterling acknowledged that the win was crucial following their earlier defeat to Lyon, which served as a wake-up call for the team. Manager Pep Guardiola expressed his disagreement with the penalty decision and expressed sympathy for the match officials, who do not have the option to use VAR technology.
