UEFA’s confession months later: A penalty should have been given

Roberto Rosetti, the chairman of UEFA’s Referees Committee, admitted that there was a refereeing error in the controversial incident during the EURO 2024 match between Germany and Spain. In the quarterfinal match between Germany and Spain, during the 106th minute, while the score was still 1-1, the referee allowed play to continue despite Musiala’s shot hitting Cucurella.

According to a report by the Spanish news site Relevo, Roberto Rosetti stated in his report to the referees that the incident should have resulted in a penalty. After the controversial incident, Germany conceded a goal in the 119th minute, eliminating them from the tournament, while Spain advanced and went on to win the cup.

The report stated that Rosetti included the following remarks regarding the incident: According to UEFA’s latest rules, contact with the ball by a hand that prevents a shot at goal should be penalized more severely, and in most cases, a penalty should be awarded. The exception is if the defender’s arm is very close to their body or in contact with their body, which does not constitute a foul. However, in Cucurella’s case, the player blocked the shot towards the goal with his arm, which was not close to his body. In this case, a penalty should have been awarded.