- Denmark were knocked out of Euro 2024 after losing to Germany in the last-16
- Joachim Andersen saw a goal ruled out moments before he conceded a penalty
- LISTEN: Join us as we debate the BIGGEST talking points on It’s All Kicking Off! EUROS DAILY. Available wherever you get your podcasts
Kasper Schmeichel raged at football’s lack of ‘common sense’ after VAR drama struck again during Denmark’s last-16 defeat by Germany at Euro 2024.
Second-half strikes from Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala secured the hosts a spot in the quarter-finals and dumped the Danes out in controversial fashion.
Joachim Andersen saw a goal ruled out after Thomas Delaney was flagged for a marginal offside by the semi-automated technology – with replays showing he had agonisingly strayed beyond the last defender with a portion of his boot.
Then, just moments later, Andersen was cruelly penalised for handball inside his own penalty area, allowing Havertz to step up and stroke home from 12 yards.
Delivering a withering verdict post-match, Schmeichel did not hold back.
‘I think it’s a mixture of disappointment, anger, rage,’ Schmeichel told ITV.
‘This is football nowadays. I’ve played professionally now for 23 years and I still don’t know the rules yet. The offside’s the offside.
‘It can be over the line and it can’t just be a little bit over the line. If it’s offside, it’s offside. I’ve no idea how reliable the technology is but we have to trust it is.’
The stopper insisted there was little Andersen could have done to avoid making contact with the ball with his arm, adding: ‘I’m not sure what a player is supposed to do when he’s running and the ball’s whacked at his hand from a yard away.
‘I’m not really sure what he’s supposed to do with his arm. There was definitely a sense that the margins were on their side today.
‘I think football and common sense – those two phrases don’t go together anymore.’
Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand also hit out at VAR after both decisions went against his side and described the controversial handball rules as ‘ridiculous’.
‘I must congratulate Germany but the game was decided by two VAR decisions. I have the picture on my phone here. It is offside by one centimetre,’ he said.
‘And I am so tired of the ridiculous handball rule. We cannot make our defenders run with their hands behind their back. It’s frustrating.
‘This is not how football is supposed to be.
‘I’m not against VAR but we have to be quicker and improve it. In my opinion, the decision should be as clear as the moon and not like we saw today.’