“SCANDAL”, “NEUER-STYLE SAVE”: DID CUCURELLA’S HANDBALL DESERVE A PENALTY IN FAVOR OF GERMANY?

The referee of the quarter-final of the Euro Spain-Germany Anthony Taylor did not whistle a penalty in favor of the Mannschaft in extra time despite a handball by Marc Cucurella in the penalty area after a shot by Jamal Musiala. More than enough to set social networks alight.

Anthony Taylor will remain one of the major players in the quarter-final between Spain and Germany (2-1, aet) on Friday in Stuttgart. If the British referee was not helped by the 22 players, generous in the contacts like a very muscular start to the match by Toni Kroos and the early exit, through injury, of the Spanish midfielder Pedri, his decisions were much commented on.

Di Meco: “For me there is debate!”

This was particularly the case in the 106th minute of the match, in extra time. At the edge of the penalty area, with the score at 1-1, Jamal Musiala tried his luck from afar. His shot was blocked by the arm of Marc Cucurella, positioned right in the middle of the penalty area. On the slow motion, the images leave no room for doubt. The ball hit the arm, which was off the body of the Roja defender. Penalty? No. VAR? No. Anthony Taylor did not flinch despite the protests of the German players.

The official probably felt that the arm position was natural. “For me, there is debate,” Eric Di Meco said on RMC. The referee said to himself: “I’m not going to give the match away on a penalty like that, but we’ll talk about it again.” On social media, opinions were, unsurprisingly, much more divided. And the action has been going round in circles ever since. Some called Anthony Taylor’s decision “scandalous” and others “a Neuer-style save.” With Spain having qualified for the semi-finals, the Germans haven’t finished complaining about it…