Acknowledging mistakes is not easy, and sometimes it takes time. In the case of the UEFA Referees Committee, approximately two and a half months is enough. That’s how much has passed since the EURO 2024 semi-final clash between Spain and Germany, in which the hosts demanded a penalty in the 107th minute with the score at 1-1. The English ref Anthony Taylor remained mute on the Germans’ protests, nor did VAR react. Twelve minutes later, Mikel Merino netted the winner, launching La Roja to the grand final in which the Spaniards beat England, becoming the European Champions.🚨 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝚰𝐍𝐆 | UEFA Referees Committee has admitted that a penalty should have been awarded to Germany against Spain following Cucurella’s handball. The committee has informed the international referees that was an error and it should have ended in a penalty. ✅[@relevo] pic.twitter.com/yX38IDfBH9— Football Latest (@footballatest_) September 23, 2024 Eighty days later, the UEFA Referees Committee issued a statement, admitting the mistake and acknowledging that Die Manschaft should have been rewarded a penalty. “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 in contact with the body. In this case [Cucurella], the defender stops the shot on goal with his arm, which is not very close to the body, making himself bigger, so a penalty kick should have been awarded,” the statement said.The insane connection between Spain’s Euros 2024 heroes Merino and OyarzabalApart from the time that passed, this reaction was particularly surprising given that the Chairman of the Referees Committee Roberto Rosetti wholeheartedly defended Taylor after the semi-final. Still, this will be a little consolation to the Germans, who have been eliminated one step before the grand final in their country and in front of their home crowd.##NAJAVA_MECA_8358043##
