"The strongest team won. England deserved it and they were fantastic, but for me that is never a penalty." The opinion of Jose Mourinho, new Roma coach, summarizes the sentiment of those who consider the penalty whistled at Wembley by Danny Makkelie in the 102nd minute of the European semi-final between England and Denmark a 'gift' for the hosts. Sterling enters the box from the right and falls after double contact, first with Maehle and then with Jensen. The Dutch referee points to the spot without hesitation. The VAR confirms, but several replays do not dissolve the doubt: the phallus cannot be distinguished. And the Manchester City striker on social media is renamed the 'diver'.
Meanwhile, the name of the Turkish Cuneyt Cakir stands out among the final contenders, an experienced referee, known for not being disturbed by environmental conditions. On the episode there are no interventions by the severe Gary Lineker, today commentator for the BBC, who had given a simulator to Immobile on the occasion of Barella's goal against Belgium. Other former British players, however, recognized the generosity of the concession: "I don't think it was a penalty - said Roy Keane, former Manchester United star, to Itv, the network that spread the game in England - It's a very 'soft' penalty. ". Of the same opinion Gary Neville: "If we had been eliminated with such a penalty now we would be absolutely devastated." More possibilist Ian Wright, who talks about the penalty "lucky,but it is well-deserved luck. Sterling said he was touched, albeit very lightly. On the other hand, they have given many of this kind throughout the tournament. "In the heat of the day, coach Hjulmand also had to complain about another detail:" Five seconds before Sterling took the ball, there was another ball on the field and I reported it to the fourth official (the Romanian Ovidiu Hategan, ed), but the game continued ".but the game continued ".but the game continued ".
"At the moment no Danish player has complained - underlines Tiziano Pieri, former international and Rai commentator - and the second ball does not seem to interfere with the action. In fact, the fourth official could have intervened, reporting via radio the irregularity to the game. 'referee, but when Sterling was still out of the box. Afterwards it's too late. " Double ball controversy aside, "it was Sterling who stretched his leg. It wasn't a penalty foul," added Hjulmand. Extremely heavy Dietmar Hamann, former midfielder of Liverpool and the German national team, who on Irish television RTE, called Makkelie's decision "shameful": "We thought the VAR exactly to avoid things like this. Contact does not exist, as soon as the Sterling balloon is already starting to fall.shameful decision "." The referee made a big mistake. "Peter Schmeichel, historic goalkeeper of Denmark and father of Kasper, current No. 1, has no doubts." I would have accepted defeat much more calmly if England had scored in one of the many moments in which it was dangerous but not so. "The only, thin, consolation was the shower of encouragement on social media for the Scandinavian team, which came out of the European Championship with its head held high.consolation was the rain of encouragement on social media for the Scandinavian team, who came out of the European Championship with their heads held high.consolation was the rain of encouragement on social media for the Scandinavian team, who came out of the European Championship with their heads held high.