It's been 71 days since Euro 2024 ended, and one game still reverberates in the corridors where European soccer decisions are made: the quarterfinal between Spain and Germany. What started with the dramatic 2-1 win in extra time by Spain turned out to be a whole different level of scandal when UEFA's Refereeing Committee, revisiting the game, recognized that a mistake had been made on a key play between Marc Cucurella and Jamal Musiala.
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But then, Spain took the trophy, and the shadow of this game still dominated the headlines. And here lies a real beef for both Nationalelf and their fans. What if that handball had been whistled for a penalty? Could the result have gone the other way? Let's go into the details to understand what it means in an admission of error by UEFA and what it really means in general to soccer.
Context: pressure on referees
With the score 1-1 at the 107-minute mark, well into extra time, a Musiala shot was deflected by Marc Cucurella, and the ball unmistakably came off the hand of the Spanish defender. Referee Anthony Taylor, supported by VAR official Stuart Atwell, judged that the handball was not a foul, stating his belief that Cucurella's arm was in a "natural" position. To the naked eye, that appeared to be in concert with the rulebook.
However, with a close review, UEFA's Refereeing Committee found otherwise, terming it a wrong call. The committee believes that Cucurella's arm was extended away from his body and increased his area, hence should be penalized by law going into the current season. This admission coming 71 days after the tournament had ended simply questions how, notwithstanding technology, refereeing errors manage to keep shaping outcomes in the beautiful game.
UEFA's admission of error
That Euro 2024 was not to be decided by the admission of a penalty that should have been called does not change the outcome, but what it has managed to do is have soccer take another look at just how well technology works and how consistent refereeing guidelines are.
This is not an isolated accident; it is a symptom of a bigger problem, which is the constant evolution of the rules and how referees interpret them. UEFA has made clear that plays like this under the latest guidelines should have much greater strictness applied to them. What was once subjective is turning increasingly objective, with clearly defined criteria about what does and does not constitute a handball violation.
But does this "mea culpa" so late help? The elimination of Germany, with Spain continuing its course for the title, was already an fait accompli. For German fans, this recognition just opens the wound of an elimination that could have been avoided. However, regarding the future of soccer, this recognition can be a fundamental step for such controversial plays to be judged more correctly and transparently.
Where's the limit?
Since its introduction, VAR came forward to promise fewer errors and more fairness in soccer. But in this case, as we can see, technology alone isn't foolproof-human interpretation is still a huge factor in decision-making.
The play by Cucurella-Musiala epitomizes one of the most contentious issues in modern refereeing: objectivity. Even with technology, the application of rules can sometimes depend upon the discretion of referees. In this case, the refereeing team decided that Cucurella's arm was in a natural position, whereas the UEFA committee felt otherwise. This is an outstanding example of how even clear rules on paper may be objected to on the field.
The question still is: where is the development of VAR going to go to eliminate that kind of error? Should there be a call for stricter guidelines or interpretations being on more even ground? And more importantly, how can such decisions not unduly affect teams and change the whole course of an entire tournament?
The ripple effect: trust in refereeing decisions
Admitting to the mistake in refereeing is not only a matter of technical correction, it is a question of trust. Soccer can indeed indulge in passion, but on the other hand, it must exude credibility. Once the highest governing body in European soccer confirms that a crucial decision was wrong, it shakes the trust which fans, players, and coaches put into the system.
This mistake, during the match between Spain and Germany, reminds us that with all technological advancements, the human element is always present and can decide. VAR should reduce such mistakes, but it cannot be an instrument viewed as the ultimate solution for every controversy. The guidelines need to be much clearer and, above all, applied with consistency.
That admission is little more than bitter consolation for Germany. But it's soccer in general that gets a second chance to reflect upon its mistakes and improves on them. After all, as they say, "to err is human," but correcting the mistake will be the future for the sport.