England are in the final of a Euro for the first time in their history, but the manner is talking. Winners of Denmark (2-1, ap) after 120 minutes of play Wednesday night, the Three Lions made the difference on a penalty obtained in the first period of extra time. A fault obtained by the winger of Raheem Sterling, still in legs on the lawn of Wembley, after a breakthrough on the right side of the British attack in the 102nd minute. In the duel with Joakim Maehle and Mathias Jensen, the Manchester City player collapsed in the field of vision of Dutch referee Danny Danny Makkelie. Who immediately awards the penalty, a decision confirmed by video refereeing from UEFA headquarters in Switzerland.
Transformed into two stages after a stop by Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel by English captain Harry Kane, the sentence has since been much debated.
And this for many reasons.
First point: the relevance of this penalty awarded for a fault that seems unclear on Sterling.
"In my opinion, there is no penalty," former international referee Bruno Derrien told Eurosport.
I have the impression that Raheem Sterling plays the blow well.
It is true that there is a slight contact with Jensen's hip but it is a micro-fault.
On arrival, it gives a macro-sanction.
"
[🎞️VIDEO] 🏆 # EURO2020 🏴🇩🇰 #ENGDEN
😱 Incredible !!!
⚽️⚽️ There were 2⃣ balls on the field at the time of the foul which caused the penalty!
https://t.co/JlRju7hjha
- beIN SPORTS (@beinsports_FR) July 7, 2021
"I don't think there is a penalty, it's very, very light," said former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane on the English channel ITV.
To be honest, we would be devastated if we lost on a penalty like that.
"An opinion shared by the former Three Lions striker, Alan Shearer, who believes at the microphone of the BBC that he would be" rather angry if this penalty had been awarded against England ".
"I have to be careful what I say"
At a press conference, this feeling was visible on the face of Danish striker Martin Braithwaite. “The way we lost makes things even more difficult to understand, blurted out, the Barça player. I have to be careful what I say but we are disappointed. “We were so close to the final. I read in the press that there should have been no penalty so it's something that annoys me, I'm disappointed, ”continued his coach, Kasper Hjulmand. Another Danish player, the former goalkeeper of the selection and father of the current goalkeeper, Peter Schmeichel. “I would have accepted more easily if they had scored on one of their many occasions, he regretted on the set of bEIN Sports England. But the referee unfortunately, in my opinion, made a mistake. "
🏆 # EURO2020 🏴🇩🇰 #ENGDEN
🎙 Braithwaite: "A difficult loss to understand" pic.twitter.com/wr8LVKlbmk
- beIN SPORTS (@beinsports_FR) July 8, 2021
Obviously, we share this opinion less in the ranks of England, all to his joy at having snatched his place for a final against Italy in front of his audience. "It was an obvious penalty", judged at the microphone of ITV Sterling. "At real speed, it seemed to me that there was a penalty, but I did not see any slow motion", judge the captain, Harry Kane. “I haven't seen a slow motion, but I've been asked a lot. On the match statistics, Kasper (Schmeichel) had an incredible game, but we had the best chances and we had a lot more than them, so I think the qualification is deserved, replied his coach, Gareth Southgate. But if the penalty was limited I understand that they are disappointed. "
Another point discussed, the presence of a second ball on the lawn of Wembley on the action where Raheem Sterling gets this penalty.
A situation which, in the eyes of many supporters, should have forced referee Danny Makkelie to stop the action.
Except that is not the case.
“Before, the rule said that when there was a second ball on the ground, it was necessary to evacuate it and to make ball on the ground, details Bruno Derrien.
But when the second ball does not influence the action, we do not stop the game. The referee here considered that the presence of this second ball did not influence the action or the player.
"
@lequipedusoir and the second ball !!!!!
pic.twitter.com/veE0N0sQPE
- Philippe (@philippedechene) July 7, 2021
An opinion confirmed by a simple glance at the rules of Ifab, the body which governs the laws of football.
His law 5, indent 3, explains that the referee must stop the action and resume it "only if there has been interference with the game, unless the ball goes towards the goal".
Here, Danny Makkelie felt that was not the case and the slow motion shows indeed that none of the players on the lawn seems disturbed by this second ball.
"I saw the ball on the pitch and I didn't know how it would be handled, but I had seen it before in England and the goal was not disallowed," said Gareth Southgate.
Why didn't the referee go check the video?
La Var has also been talked about again. If the video referee ruled from Switzerland that there was no reason to overturn the decision, former Arsenal coach Arsène Wenger felt that the Dutch official should have gone and checked for himself. . “I do not understand why, in a situation like this, the referee will not see on the screen, he explained on the set of beIN Sports England. In such a situation, he must be sure. But in this specific case, it is up to the video analyst to indicate to the referee that he is seriously wrong. "Keep in mind that it takes a clear and manifest error for a decision on the pitch to be changed," said former England referee Peter Walton.
Finally, several Internet users and media denounced the behavior of some of the English supporters.
Pictures show a laser aimed at Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel's eye in an attempt to blind him ahead of Harry Kane's run-up to the penalty spot.
"It is not only unsportsmanlike, it is dangerous", indignant this user of Twitter.
Another source of indignation, but which will not repair the injustice of which Denmark considers itself a victim.
Pointing lasers at players is not only bad sportsmanship, it's dangerous.
# UefaEuro2020 #DENENG pic.twitter.com/o9k1b4Boog
- Rasmus Vuori (@rasmusvuori) July 7, 2021