Two Spanish referees have been sent home by UEFA following complaints over their officiating at Euro 2024.
Alejandro Hernandez, the VAR official who dismissed Scotland’s penalty claim in their 1-0 defeat to Hungary last Sunday, and Jesus Gil Manzano, who was criticised for his error in France’s 1-0 win over Austria, will take no part in the knockout stages of the tournament.
Manzano’s two assistants, Diego Barbero and Angel Nevado, have also been sent home, leaving just Martinez Munuera, a VAR official, as Spain’s sole representative for the remainder of Euro 2024.
Former La Liga referee, Iturralde Gonzalez, urged the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to improve relations with UEFA after four of their five officials were dismissed after the group stage.
‘There is an urgent need for a Spanish representative on the refereeing committee,’ he told Spanish radio network Cadena SER.
Reports had also suggested this week that Facundo Tello, the Argentine referee who waved away Scotland’s penalty protests against Hungary, had been dropped by UEFA for the remainder of Euro 2024 but he has been named as the fourth official for Italy’s last-16 tie against Switzerland on Saturday.
Scotland manager Steve Clarke was furious after his side were denied what appeared to be a clear penalty in the second half of their defeat to Hungary when Stuart Armstrong was bundled over inside the box by Willi Orban.
Tello dismissed Scotland’s claim, while lead VAR Hernandez reviewed the footage and did not advise the Argentine referee to conduct a review of his decision.
‘In a European competition it might have been better to have a European referee,’ Clarke said after his side’s Euro 2024 exit.
‘But we had European VAR. Maybe the referee didn’t see the challenge clearly on the pitch but what’s the purpose of VAR if they’re not going to come in on something like that. It’s a penalty.
‘It’s 100 per cent a penalty. Somebody somewhere has to explain to me why that’s not a penalty. It’s 100 per cent and in a one-goal gave, had we got that penalty, it could have been a different night. I’ve got other words but I’m not going to use them.’
Meanwhile, Austria were furious with La Liga referee Manzano in their 1-0 defeat to France after they were not awarded a corner shortly before Max Wober’s own goal sealed the win for Didier Deschamps’ side.
‘I don’t want to give the impression that I put everything on the referee,’ Austria’s head coach, Ralf Rangnick, said after the game.
‘The referee was probably the only person in the stadium who decided on a corner kick in this situation.
‘It could have been different if we had a corner kick, so to decide goal kick at that moment I don’t really understand.
‘And I don’t really understand the VAR because they should intervene at this moment. But unfortunately this didn’t happen.’
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