UEFA has relieved two Spanish referees, Alejandro Hernández Hernández and Jesús Gil Manzano, from the Euro 2024 after clear complaints were made over their exhibition.
Hernández has been attacked as the VAR official who cancelled Scotland’s penalty claim in their loss to Hungary 1-0 last Sunday. Manzano was haunted by his blunder during France’s 1-0 win over Austria.
Their assistants, Diego Barbero Sevilla and Ángel Nevado Rodríguez have also been sent home alongside the two referees.
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This leaves Martínez Munuera – a VAR official – as the only Spanish representative in the tournament.
Former La Liga referee Iturralde Gonzalez has called on the Spanish football federation to improve its relationship with UEFA following a decision to axe four of the five Spanish officials after the group stage.
“There is an urgent need for a Spanish representative on the refereeing committee,” Gonzalez said in an interview with Spanish radio network Cadena SER.
Also, Argentine referee Facundo Tello – who dismissed penalty protests by Scotland against Hungary – will be the fourth official for Italy’s last-16 tie with Switzerland on Saturday despite being earlier reported as dropped by UEFA.
Steve Clarke was left frustrated after his side were denied a penalty when Stuart Armstrong was brought down inside the box by Willi Orban.
Tello dismissed the penalty claim and lead VAR Hernández did not suggest review.
“Perhaps in a European competition it might have been better to have a European referee,” Clarke said. “But we had European VAR. Maybe the referee didn’t see the challenge clearly on the pitch but what’s the point of VAR if they’re not going to come in on something like that? It’s a penalty. It’s 100 per cent a penalty.”.
Likewise, Austria were livid with Manzano’s officiating in the 1-0 defeat to France, as no corner was awarded shortly before Max Wöber turned past his own goalkeeper to seal victory for Didier Deschamps’s team.