Dutch manager Ronald Koeman slammed the use of video assistant referees (VAR) after a contentious penalty call swung Wednesday’s Euro 2024 semi-final in England’s favor.
The Netherlands took the lead early on through Xavi Simons, but England were gifted a lifeline when Harry Kane was awarded a penalty after Denzel Dumfries made contact with him following his shot. Referee Felix Zwayer initially waved play on, but a VAR intervention led to the spot-kick decision.
Kane converted the penalty, and a late goal by substitute Ollie Watkins secured a 2-1 victory for England, sending them to the final against Spain.
Koeman was furious with the decision. “It should not have been a penalty,” he stated. “He [Dumfries] kicked the ball and there was minimal contact. VAR is breaking the flow of the game and ruining football.”
Former England defender Gary Neville, now a pundit, agreed with Koeman’s assessment. “That was an awful decision,” he said. “Dumfries was simply trying to block the shot. There’s no way it was a penalty.”
While acknowledging the contact, Alan Shearer, a former England striker, believed the decision wasn’t a clear mistake. “There was contact, but Dumfries was clearly attempting to block the ball,” he remarked. “Kane made the most of it, but I wouldn’t call it a shocking decision to overturn the original call.”
Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk also pinpointed the penalty as a critical moment. “The penalty decision was a huge turning point,” he said. “It gave England a lot of confidence, and overall, several decisions seemed to go against us.”
