Cucurella should have been given a penalty at the Euros, says UEFA

Musiala’s shot in extra time was blocked by the Spaniard’s arm, but Anthony Taylor considered the move to be a fluke; UEFA gave different guidelines

The Germany – Spain Euro 2024 quarter-final match that ended 2-1 to the Spanish side, with Merino scoring in the 119th minute, was once again the focus of attention. Before the midfielder, now at Arsenal , scored, Musiala could have scored the Germans’ second, but his shot was blocked by Cucurella ‘s arm . Anthony Taylor , the match referee, decided not to award a penalty, a decision that, according to a report by the UEFA Referees Committee, was not correct.

“According to the latest UEFA guidelines, hand-ball contact that prevents a shot from reaching the goal should be punished more severely and, in most cases, a penalty should be awarded, unless the player’s arm is too close to his body,” the document states, referring then to a specific example: “In this case, the Spanish defender stops the shot with his arm, which is not too close to his body and increases its size. In this case, a penalty should have been awarded.”

Anthony Taylor and Stuart Atwell, in the VAR, will have followed the guidelines given by UEFA itself before the European Championship, which indicated that, if the arm is down, close to the torso, naturally and without the player taking up more space, with a shot from close range that does not allow time to remove it, a penalty should not be awarded. This new recommendation comes, in a way, contrary to the information released at the time.