September 24 – UEFA has admitted that the decision not to award a penalty for Marc Cucurella’s handball during Spain’s 2-1 extra-time victory over Germany in the Euro 2024 quarter-final was a mistake.
According to a report from UEFA’s Referees Committee, Cucurella’s controversial handball, which occurred in the penalty area during extra-time following a shot from Germany’s Jamal Musiala, should have resulted in a spot-kick for the tournament hosts by English referee Antony Taylor.
If scored the penalty would have put Germany ahead. Mikel Merino then scored in the 119th minute to make it 2:1 to Spain who went on to win the European Championship.
Almost two months after the quarter final, UEFA’s Referees Committee has officially informed international referees that a mistake was made and Taylor should have awarded a penalty to Germany. The report also states that VAR official Stuart Attwell should have intervened.
“Following the latest UEFA guidelines, hand-to-ball contact that stops a shot on goal should be punished more strictly, and in most cases, a penalty kick should be awarded, unless the defender’s arm is very close to the body or on the body,’ the Referees Committee said on the incident.
“In this case, the defender [Cucurella] stops the shot on goal with his arm, which is not very close to the body, making itself bigger, so a penalty kick should have been awarded.”
Speaking to Bild, a furious Lothar Matthaus said: “If it’s true that UEFA now admits it was the wrong decision – then we’ve obviously been cheated! The instruction we were given at the time was just an excuse. It’s outrageous that it’s only now being admitted, when everyone saw it at the time.”
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1732224936labto1732224936ofdlr1732224936owedi1732224936sni@g1732224936niwe.1732224936yrrah1732224936.