Ref chief backs decision to deny Scotland penalty v Hungary

Scotland were correctly denied a punishment successful their last Euro 2024 group crippled because it was felt Stuart Armstrong had initiated "physical contact" interaction pinch Hungary defender Willi Orban, according to Uefa's caput of referees.

Argentine referee Facundo Tello was criticised by Scotland caput coach Steve Clarke pursuing Hungary's 1-0 victory, which eliminated their opponents from nan competition.

But nan determination was defended by nan governing body's managing head of refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, during an hour-long briefing astir nan officiating successful Germany.

He said nan incident was checked by nan VAR team, which decided location was nary request for an on-field reappraisal by nan referee, and that location had besides been a imaginable manus shot successful his ain punishment container by Scotland midfielder John McGinn earlier successful nan 2nd half.

"This was a very reliable crippled pinch a mates of arguable incidents," Rosetti said erstwhile asked astir nan Armstrong incident.

"There was one, for example, successful infinitesimal 68 erstwhile location was a imaginable punishment because number 7 of Scotland, John McGinn, was pulling nan opponent’s garment conscionable earlier nan incident. So, this was 1 of nan imaginable penalties.

"Then location was of people successful infinitesimal 79 successful nan punishment area of Hungary different incident. This was, let’s say, successful favour of Hungary. The 2nd 1 was successful favour of Scotland erstwhile nan attacker of Scotland - Armstrong - was successful beforehand of nan Hungarian.

"If you watch it from down nan camera, location was a activity of nan attacker towards nan Hungarian. So, different arguable decision."

Rosetti stressed that VAR "check everything".

"There was nary involution because successful their sentiment nan attacker changed nan guidance towards nan defender and, successful his opinion, it was conscionable a beingness interaction to situation nan defender," he said.

Asked whether Tello had been dropped arsenic a referee for nan knock-out stages, Rosetti declined to remark different than to opportunity that immoderate top-class officials ever time off tournaments early.

Rosetti besides described nan determination to grant a punishment and show a reddish paper to Scotland centre-half Ryan Porteous successful their opening conclusion by Germany arsenic "a bully determination of nan referee astatine nan end, a very bully involution of nan VAR".

Meanwhile, Rosetti besides thought "the determination is wholly correct" by English referee Anthony Taylor to disallow Xavi Simons' extremity successful Netherland's goalless tie pinch France.

He said that he had listened backmost to nan speech betwixt nan officials and it was "very clear why they took nan last decision".

The referee spotted Denzel Dumfries successful an offside position and he and his adjunct "evaluated nan imaginable effect connected nan attacker connected nan goalkeeper... nan trajectory of nan shot and nan anticipation of nan keeper to make nan save".

Rosetti added that nan referee committee was "happy astir nan afloat process" and, while "the long could beryllium less", he pointed retired that it is "not easy" to cheque 2 imaginable offsides arsenic good arsenic nan position of nan attacker and goalkeeper.