UEFA admit major error at Euro 2024 denied Arsenal 25yo a penalty

The UEFA Referees Committee have admitted they made an error by failing to award a penalty to Germany against Spain at Euro 2024, with Kai Havertz losing out on the chance to take it.

Fresh from Sunday’s frustrating refereeing performance of Arsenal’s trip to Manchester City, Kai Havertz’s mood won’t be improved this morning by the news that the UEFA Referees Committee have admitted a major error at Euro 2024.

Tournament hosts Germany were taking on eventual tournament winners Spain, and Jamal Musiala’s shot was blocked by the outstretched arm of Marc Cucurella.

VAR was in use, but no penalty was awarded, and the UEFA Referees Committee have conceded that the decision was incorrect.

“Following the latest UEFA guidelines, hand-to-ball contact that stops a shot on goal should be punished more strictly,” the committee wrote (via GGFN).

“In most cases a penalty kick should be awarded, unless the defender’s arm is very close to the body or in contact with the body.

“In this case [Cucurella], the defender stops the shot on goal with his arm, which is not very close to the body, making himself bigger, so a penalty kick should have been awarded.”

Havertz is Germany’s first-choice penalty taker, taking and scoring all three of their spot-kicks in 2024. He was still on the pitch at the time of the penalty claim against Spain, so if it had been awarded, it’s fair to suggest he would have taken that one too.

Instead, the match finished 1-1, and Spain went on to win it in extra time.

A couple of other Arsenal players benefitted from the error. Mikel Merino scored Spain’s late winner on the day, and he and David Raya ultimately lifted the trophy.