A report on Euro 2024 issued by UEFA’s Referees’ Committee has said that Germany should have been awarded a penalty for handball in their quarterfinal defeat to Spain.
As part of UEFA’s regular work to issue guidance to officials, it reviews situations and gives advice on how they should be dealt with and it pointed out that a penalty should have been given.
The game was 1-1 at the end of the first period of extra time when a shot from Jamal Musiala struck the arm of Marc Cucurella.
Germany’s players were incensed that referee Anthony Taylor did not award a penalty, indicating the Spain defender had his arm close to his body.
That decision was suported by the VAR, Stuart Attwell. Spain won the game 2-1 through a Mikel Merino goal in the 119th minute, and went on to lift the trophy by beating England in the final.
Before the tournament, Roberto Rosetti, chief refereeing officer for UEFA, had presented examples of a shot on goal and the arm being close to the side, explaining this should not be considered handball.
However, the report from the Referees’ Committee said it did not consider Cucurella’s arm to be close enough to his body. It stated that “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.”
It added: “In this case, the defender 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.”
