Parma defender Couto rues stray hand

0 Comments | AFP, January, 2008

ROME (AFP) — Veteran Portuguese centre-back Fernando Couto admitted that he did handle the ball before the controversial penalty that helped Inter Milan salvage a 3-2 victory over Parma from the jaws of defeat.

Parma were clinging onto to a slender 2-1 lead in the dying minutes at the San Siro on Sunday night, on the brink of inflicting a first league defeat of the season on the champions.

But a dubious penalty award against Couto for handling in the box allowed Sweden forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic to level from the spot before he scored a sumptuous injury-time winner.

Couto threw himself in front of the goal and seemed to divert an Ibrahimovic shot away for a corner with his head before the referee pointed to the spot and gave the former international defender...