9:50 am: THE FIRST EURO POLEMICA. We’re going to talk about VAR, of course.
For his introduction to the Euro, video refereeing quickly caught on: from the opening match against Turkey, the Italians unsuccessfully claimed a penalty for a hand in the box at the end of the first period, throwing the first major controversy of the tournament. Two actions have fueled the controversy, as the rule on hands was recently changed by the International Board (Ifab), the body responsible for the laws of the game.
In the first period, on a strike from Ciro Immobile (21st), the Turkish defender Çaglar Söyüncü intervened, blocking the ball with his arm, which was then stuck to the body at the level of the torso. The referee, the Dutchman Danny Makkelie, did not flinch. A second, more contentious action followed just before the break: overflowing on the left, the side Leonardo Spinazzola centered and his Turkish counterpart Zeki Çelik deflected the ball with his arm, this time clearly taken off.
The Italians surrounded the referee to claim a penalty but the latter, after consulting his video assistant, decided not to award it, angering the Nazionale players, who felt that Çelik had artificially increased his surface area. bodily.
In fact, according to the new Ifab directives, “any contact of a player’s hand or arm with the ball does not constitute a fault”. In particular, the Board invited the referees to “use their judgment” rather than systematically whistling.