Watch: ‘Not acceptable’: Ħamrun Spartans CEO slams ‘incredible’ referee decision in Runavik defeat

Ħamrun Spartans CEO Marcel Bonnici described the performance of the match officials in Thursday’s UEFA Conference League tie against NSI Runavik, of the Faroe Islands, as unacceptable, as the Reds crashed out of Europe following a controversial referee decision.

NSI Runavik won the match 2-1 to progress 3-2 on aggregate and will now face Slovenian side Koper in the second qualifying round.

The game looked to be heading into extra-time when in the second minute of stoppage time, the NSÍ forward Tobias Hestad chased a loose ball near the byline and managed to send it back into the penalty area.

Television replays appeared to indicate that the ball had already crossed the goal line before Hestad reached it, but neither Luxembourg referee Jeremy Muller nor his assistant deemed it out of play.

Believing a goal kick had been awarded, Ħamrun captain Emerson Marcelina picked up the ball inside the area to place it for the restart. Instead, the officials awarded NSÍ a penalty for deliberate handball.

Peter Knudsen converted from the spot to send the Faroese side through, leaving Marcelina in tears as he requested to be substituted to a standing ovation from the Ħamrun supporters.

At the final whistle, furious Ħamrun players surrounded the match officials, while supporters voiced their anger from the stands as the refereeing team was escorted from the pitch by police officers.

“This is unacceptable,” Marcel Bonnici told MaltaSport after the match.

“At this level, one expects to have a good level of refereeing. But when you have a boy as part of the referee panel it’s not right. When you have a ball that has clearly gone out of play and the assistant referee doesn’t lift his flag is something incredible.

“Had we gone into extra-time, I was confident that we could have got the win. But I am really disappointed to see the team being eliminated in such a manner.

“The standard of refereeing in this match was of a very low quality.”

Sources have told Times of Malta that Ħamrun Spartans are currently discussing whether to lodge a protest to UEFA on the referee’s performance.