Daugavpils director questions late penalty award in draw with RFS

The general director of Latvian football club Daugavpils, Mackevičs, spoke out after his team's draw with RFS, addressing both a costly individual decision by a player and a disputed refereeing call in stoppage time.

Mackevičs said that for most of the match the opponent created almost no clear scoring chances, and in his view Daugavpils was closer to winning than to losing. After the game, he and the coaching staff discussed the result but still could not fully explain what had happened.

Player's decision in the final minutes draws criticism

The director expressed particular frustration over an episode in which player Vaduls, with an open goal and a free teammate in sight, chose to shoot himself rather than pass. Mackevičs said the team had pointed out in the locker room afterward that this was the second time in the last three matches that this player's decision-making had cost the club dearly. One earlier instance reportedly cost the team a place in the Latvian Cup final, while this time it cost a secure point. The club's leadership is now considering what steps to take regarding the player going forward.

Doubts over the penalty decision

Discussing the penalty awarded to RFS in stoppage time, Mackevičs said he had serious doubts about the referee's call. He referred to a conversation with his own goalkeeper, Jānis Beks, who said he had saved the initial shot, but the ball then simply ended up back in his hands. According to Beks, RFS player Lipuščeks had pushed the ball forward, the goalkeeper cleared it, and Lipuščeks then collided with him. Mackevičs said that from an outside perspective, the decision to award a penalty in the 93rd minute seemed highly questionable.