Explained: Why Spain were not penalised for Marc Cucurella’s handball against Germany

One of the most contentious issues from Friday’s Euro 2024 quarter-final between Spain and Germany, which La Roja won 2-1 after extra time, was the non-awarding of a penalty for the host nation during the additional 30-minute period. Marc Cucurella appeared to block a Jamal Musiala shot with his arm, but referee Anthony Taylor did not award a spot-kick – and VAR agreed.

This caused major fury in the German camp, but as per UEFA’s guidelines – revealed by ESPN’s Dale Johnson – the decision by Taylor and the VAR team was correct.

If a player’s arm was close to his side, pointing predominantly down/vertically, and/or a position behind line of the body when the ball struck, it is not deemed to be an offence. Taylor followed these guidelines in the incident with Cucurella, meaning that he and the VAR team were correct in their assessment – despite this, it’s doubtful that anyone associated with the German national team will agree.

Spain are unlikely to give the incident any more though, especially considering that they have a semi-final showdown against France – scheduled for Tuesday evening in Munich – to prepare for.