Numerous German fans blamed the non-given handball penalty against Spain for their team’s elimination from the European Championships. Now protagonist Marc Cucurella describes his thoughts on the scene.
It’s the 106th minute on July 5, 2024 in the European Championship quarter-final between Germany and Spain: Thomas Müller lifts the ball half-left into the box to Niclas Füllkrug, who makes a strong tackle and then passes it on to Jamal Musiala. Although the ball has just touched the ground twice, the youngster immediately shoots.
A few moments later, the stadium goes wild: but the ball doesn’t wobble into the net for a 2-1 lead, instead flying into Marc Cucurella’s left hand. To the incomprehension of the Germans, referee Anthony Taylor lets play continue – a scene that many German fans see as the turning point in the European Championship.
While numerous DFB protagonists, such as Toni Kroos, had already commented on the handball, the man himself now gave a further statement in an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport. “Mamma mia, what a shock. I thought I was going to wet myself, looked at the referee and saw that he was sure: ‘No penalty!’” explains Cucurella.
Cucurella was only able to relax when play continued
However, Taylor’s appearance did not really put the left-back’s mind at rest. “I said to myself, ‘Relax’,” said the 26-year-old about the seconds after the handball. But he was only able to do that when the VAR did not intervene and the game continued.
Two and a half weeks ago, the UEFA Refereeing Commission ruled in a letter sent to top international referees at regular intervals that the scene was a wrong decision. “In this case, the defender stopped the shot on goal with his arm, which is not very close to the body, making it larger, so a penalty should have been awarded,” the Spanish platform Relevo quoted the commission as saying.
Cucurella does not understand why UEFA waited so long to take action. “Now they’re coming and saying it was a penalty: what’s the point?” asks the defender. Rather, he believes that the regulation should be reconsidered.
