United Kingdom
Argentina 
Australia 
Austria 
Brazil 
Canada 
Germany 
Ireland 
Italy 
Malaysia 
Mexico 
New Zealand 
Poland 
South Africa 
United States Why is Marc Cucurella getting booed during Spain vs France in Euro ...
Spain defender Marc Cucurella was loudly booed by supporters in Munich as his side faced France in the semi-finals of Euro 2024.
And it seems Cucurella was being targeted by Germany fans who had bought tickets in the hope of seeing their side in action. However, the hosts were knocked out by Spain in the quarter-finals and there was a controversial incident involving Cucurella during that match.
The game ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, with Mikel Merino scoring the winner for Spain in extra-time. Germany, though, felt aggrieved that they were not awarded a penalty when a Jamal Musiala shot struck Cucurella's hand inside the box in extra-time.
Referee Anthony Taylor waved away Germany's protests and manager Julian Nagelsmann criticised the decision after the game, suggesting the handball law should be changed. "I don't want to talk too much about it, but it would be nice if it would be assessed what is the intention," he said.
"It's not possible in football if someone shoots into the stand and hits a hand, it's never [a penalty], but when [the ball is] clearly going towards goal and hits a hand, you can't talk about intention.
"You have to see where the shot is aimed. We have 50 robots bringing us coffee, so there should be an AI calculating crosses, shots, where they are going. It's quite simple. We should really assess where the shot is going, but that is not the only reason we lost the game."
Former Germany captain Michael Ballack, meanwhile, fumed on Magenta TV: “All the criteria for a penalty are met. The arm is outstretched, a clear advantage, and yet there will be experts who see it differently."
Gary Neville was among those felt Taylor made the right decision, posting on social media: "Thank you for not being handball!!" Cucurella was also asked about the incident ahead of the semi-final clash with France.
"I'm a player, and I don't get involved in that," he said. "If the referees say it wasn't a handball, I respect that decision. Ultimately, they have to make the tough calls. If they've said it wasn't, I understand.
"I understand it's a contentious issue. We're tired of seeing some handballs called and others not. If Germany had won, we wouldn't be talking about this. These things happen; they're decisions. We could have complained that [Toni] Kroos should have been shown a card and sent off."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
The Three Lions are among the favourites to win this summer's Euro 2024 tournament and you can get your hands on the brand new Nike home and away kits before the first whistle.
