Here are the latest Newcastle United headlines for Wednesday, November 29, 2023.

VAR official stood down

The VAR official involved in the decision to award Paris St Germain a controversial last-gasp penalty to salvage a Champions League draw against Newcastle has been stood down from duty on Wednesday night.

The PA news agency understands Thomas Kwiatkowski will no longer be among the officials selected to oversee the Real Sociedad v Red Bull Salzburg match at the Anoeta Stadium.

Newcastle were within a few minutes of stoppage time of a famous victory at the Parc des Princes when a questionable handball decision against Tino Livramento handed Kylian Mbappe the chance to snatch a point, and it was one he took with some aplomb.

Asked if he felt a sense of injustice, Magpies boss Eddie Howe replied: "Yes, I do. It wasn't the right decision in my opinion. There are so many things to take into account at that moment, the speed first. It was a ricochet that when it is slowed down, looks completely different to the live event.

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"The ball hits his chest first, comes up and hits his hand. But his hand is not in an unnatural position, they (his hands) are down by his side, but he is in a running motion. I feel it is a poor decision and it's hugely frustrating for us as you know how little time there is left in the game. There is nothing we can do about it now."

Trippier frustration

Kieran Trippier cannot understand why the penalty which denied Newcastle a famous Champions League victory at Paris St Germain was given.

The 33-year-old England international was incredulous when Polish referee Szymon Marcimiak pointed to the spot after being asked to review an incident in which Timo Livramento blocked Ousmane Dembele's cross deep into stoppage time and saw the ball ricochet off his chest onto the underside of his arm.

Kylian Mbappe scored from the spot with just seconds remaining to cancel out Alexander Isak's first-half opener and snatch two priceless points from the Magpies' grasp.

Trippier said: "It is disappointing, but we have to move on. I just try to enjoy football, but I am tired of discussing these matters, whether good or bad. Nothing can change it. The referee had the chance to go to the monitor, which he did, so I don't understand it. From my point of view, it has come off his chest and on to his arm.

"I don't understand what his decision was, even after the game. We tried to ask him. But we just have to move on and take it on the chin."

Howe stays positive

Newcastle United know they need to beat AC Milan at home on December 13 and hope PSG do not win away to Borussia Dortmund to progress in this season's Champions League, following the 1-1 draw in Paris.

Asked if that was something to cling on to, Howe, who celebrated his 46th birthday today, said: "Yes, I think that's absolutely right. In the next couple of days, that will become more relevant in our thoughts, I think.

"When the draw came out, it was the 'group of death' and I don't think many people gave us a chance of qualifying from it and sitting here now, I'm a little bit frustrated that it's not in our hands because when I look back at the two Dortmund games, I felt we could have done better in those matches.

"I don't think it's the time for that, I think it's probably a time to be positive and to say that if we can beat Milan, then good things can happen from it."

Enrique relief

PSG boss Luis Enrique, felt his side deserved to beat Newcastle in Paris last night. There was a mixture of relief and frustration on a night when his side created a host of chances but were unable to take any of them until Mbappe's late intervention.

Enrique said: "Without a doubt, we played a very great game. We deserved to win. We played better than Newcastle. The result does not reflect what happened on the pitch.

"It's not basketball. We are one of the teams in Europe that scores the most. Sometimes the ball doesn't want to go in. Sometimes the game looked like table tennis. I couldn't believe we couldn't score, but we carried on despite the frustration."

Shearer blast

Former Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer has blasted the decision which handed Paris St German a Champions League get out of jail card against his home town club "disgusting" and "s***".

Shearer, the Magpies' record goalscorer, voiced his frustration on social media after Polish referee Szymon Marciniak was asked to review his decision not to award a penalty when Ousmane Dembele's cross hit Tino Livramento in the ribs and then hit the underside of his arm. The referee belatedly pointed to the spot.

Kylian Mbappe, who had been denied repeatedly by goalkeeper Nick Pope and his defenders, made no mistake from 12 yards in the eighth minute of stoppage time at the Parc des Princes to secure a 1-1 draw.

An unimpressed Shearer wrote on his X - formerly Twitter - account: "Do me a f****** favour man. What a load of s***t.

"A superb battling away performance from every single player. Shouldn't be spoilt by a disgusting decision. Well done @NUFC."