'Just look at the shirt' - Dessers calls out referee for denying him a penalty against Athletic Club

Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers has expressed his fury after being denied a penalty during his side’s defeat to Athletic Club, insisting the defender involved admitted guilt after the match.

The Nigerian forward was left incensed when referee Irfan Peljto chose not to award a penalty following a clear shirt pull by Bilbao’s Dani Vivian inside the box. 

Despite a VAR check, UEFA officials ruled there was no foul, a decision that sparked outrage among pundits and former players.

Speaking to TNT Sports, via Daily Record after the match, Dessers revealed the aftermath of the controversial moment. 

"The ball gets deflected into the box and I wanted to make a run for it as I think I can get to it. Then my shirt gets pulled and even if there’s doubt, just look at the shirt," Dessers said.

"If there’s a tear like this, something happened at least."

He continued: "You can’t rip a shirt in the box. It’s not possible in the middle of the pitch, never mind the box. So that was a game changer.”

Dessers was booked by referee Peljto for re-entering the pitch after changing his torn shirt, a decision he struggled to understand. 

"I have no explanation for that. After it, the ref was kind to me and showed some compassion," he added.

The 30-year-old went on to say that Vivian later admitted the foul. "I spoke to the defender and, of course, he admitted it was a penalty. Everyone could see what happened."

Former Rangers star Ally McCoist also criticized the officiating, noting that a top Premier League refereeing official was in attendance at San Mames. 

The controversy has reignited debate over the consistency of VAR decisions in European competition.

Dessers, who also referenced a potential second-half handball incident, said: "There was also a shout for a penalty in the second half with the handball. But that’s football, we were on the wrong side of it today. That hurts but we have to get through it."

Rangers suffered a 2–0 loss in the tie, with the officiating decisions compounding their disappointment.

Wale Adejumo

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