According to the daily post news, UEFA, the governing body of European football, has taken the decision to relieve two Spanish referees, Alejandro Hernández Hernández and Jesús Gil Manzano, of their duties at the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament, following receipt of multiple complaints and concerns regarding their controversial and questionable officiating performances.
Alejandro Hernández Hernández, who was serving as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) official, came under intense scrutiny and criticism for his controversial decision to overturn a penalty claim by Scotland, leading to their 1-0 defeat against Hungary, while Jesús Gil Manzano faced similar criticism for his mistaken call during the match between France and Austria, which resulted in a 1-0 win for France.
In addition to the two referees, Alejandro Hernández Hernández and Jesús Gil Manzano, their respective assistant referees, Diego Barbero Sevilla and Ángel Nevado Rodríguez, have also been relieved of their duties and dismissed from the tournament, and all four officials have been sent home from Euro 2024.
As a result of the dismissals, Juan Martínez Munuera, a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) official, is now the sole representative from Spain remaining at the Euro 2024 tournament, shouldering the responsibility of representing his country in the officiating team for the remaining matches
Ex-La Liga referee, Iturralde Gonzalez, has urged the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to take immediate action to mend and strengthen their relationship with UEFA, in response to the unprecedented dismissal of four out of the five Spanish officials, including two referees and their assistants, from the Euro 2024 tournament after the group stage.
Former referee Iturralde Gonzalez emphasized the importance of having a Spanish representative on the UEFA refereeing committee, stating in an interview with Cadena SER, a Spanish radio network, that it is crucial and urgent for the country to have a voice and presence in this decision-making body to protect Spanish interests and improve relationships with UEFA.
Argentine referee Facundo Tello, who was at the center of controversy for dismissing Scotland's penalty claims in their match against Hungary, has been surprisingly appointed as the fourth official for the highly anticipated Italy-Switzerland match in the Round of 16 on Saturday, contradicting earlier reports that he had been removed from officiating duties by UEFA.
Scotland's manager, Steve Clarke, was left visibly frustrated and dismayed after his team's penalty appeal was rejected by referee Facundo Tello, despite clear contact between Hungary's Willi Orban and Scotland's Stuart Armstrong inside the penalty area, with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), Alejandro Hernández Hernández, failing to intervene and recommend a review of the controversial incident.
Scotland's manager, Steve Clarke, expressed his discontent and disbelief, stating that while he understood the referee may have missed the clear penalty incident on the field, the presence of European VAR officials made it inexcusable to not review and correct the mistake, emphasizing that it was a blatant penalty and questioning the purpose of VAR if not used in such clear-cut situations.
Austria's team was left dissatisfied and frustrated with referee Jesús Gil Manzano's officiating in their narrow 1-0 loss to France, particularly regarding a controversial incident where they were denied a corner kick just before Max Wöber's own goal, which proved to be the decisive moment in the match, giving France the victory under questionable circumstances.