Steve Clarke has taken aim at the Argentine referee after his Scotland side were dumped out of Euro 2024 courtesy of a dramatic defeat to Hungary.
- Scotland defeated at the death by Hungary
- Finish bottom of Group A and bow out
- Scots denied penalty when Stuart Armstrong felled
WHAT HAPPENED?
Scottish hearts were broken by a 100th-minute Hungarian winner on Sunday night, with the Tartan Army finishing bottom of Group A with just a solitary point as a result of the 1-0 defeat in Stuttgart. Ten minutes had been added as a result of the horror injury suffered by Hungary’s Barnabas Varga. Scotland were adamant they should have had a penalty earlier in the second half when Stuart Armstrong was felled in the box by a clumsy challenge in the box, only for referee Facundo Tello – who is Argentinian – to wave away their appeals.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Although it is a rarity for a referee from another continent to officiate a European Championship game, it has happened before. Nevertheless, Clarke was adamant that it was a factor in the non-award of a penalty for his side – even though the Spanish VAR official declined to intervene – and he was clearly seething after the game ended as Scotland bowed out.
WHAT CLARKE SAID
Speaking in a TV interview after the full-time whistle, Clarke said: “It’s a penalty, I do not know for the life of me why it’s not given.” Asked if he had queried the decision with the referee, he added: “He’s [the referee] from Argentina, why would I ask him? Probably doesn’t speak the language, I don’t know. Why is he here? Why is it not a European referee?”
Later in his post-match press conference, Clarke continued: “It was 100% a penalty. Somebody, somewhere has to explain to me why that is not a penalty. It was a one-goal game; if we get the penalty it can be a different night. I have other words but I am not going to use them. European competition, might have been better to have a European referee. But we had European VAR. Maybe the referee didn’t see the challenge clearly on the pitch so what’s the purpose of VAR if they are not going to come in on something like that? It was a penalty.”
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WHAT NEXT FOR SCOTLAND?
Clarke insists Scotland will do their damnedest to qualify for another major tournament and improve on this disappointing showing in Germany, adding: “You have to lick your wounds, refresh yourself and go again because it can’t be another 26 years before we go to another major tournament overseas. That’s got to be the next ambition.”
