German fans urging for a replay against Spain following controversial Euro 2024 exit
More than 411,000 people have signed a petition calling for a replay of the quarterfinals between Spain and Germany after some highly contentious refereeing decisions have cast doubt over the outcome of the matches.
The match on July 5, in which Spain beat Germany and reached the semifinals of the Euros, is still going strong in the host country, despite the public's frustrations with the tournament.
German fans have been particularly critical of referee Anthony Taylor.
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The biggest issue is the shot from Musiala which hit the hand of Cucurella, who is inside the area. Despite the interaction with the hand – which would usually result in a penalty – referee Taylor let the game continue, and the VAR did not intervene either.
It was the 106th minute, the game was tied at 1-1 and that penalty could have changed the outcome of the entire tournament, especially for the great Toni Kroos, who has now played his final game.
It's not just the Cucurella non-penalty. German fans have a list of plays from the match that they consider relevant to their claim.
As a result of the frustration, the 'Change' platform has seen a petition calling for "Replay Germany vs Spain".
Photo: Change.org
The petition was created on July 5 and, at this time, it already has more than 411,000 signatures supporting the initiative.
Unfortunately for Germany, the petition looks to have fallen on deaf ears. In hours, Spain will face France in the semi-final that German fans believe should instead include 'Die Mannschaft', one of the best-performing teams of the tournament.
The other semi-final pits England against The Netherlands, two teams whose football has left much to be desired, yet have surprisingly found themselves on the cusp of a European Championship title. Football is a cruel beast sometimes.
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