UEFA have reportedly given the boot to the Argentinian referee who turned down Scotland’s penalty shout against Hungary – along with his team of VAR officials who were on duty that night.
Whistler Facundo Tello left Scotland manager Steve Clarke seething after he waved away to a challenge by Willi Orban on Stuart Armstrong inside the penalty area in Stuttgart. Just minutes after the snub – in which VAR did not opt to intervene – Hungary went up the other end to grab an injury time winner from Kevin Csoboth, ending the Scots hopes of progressing from Group A at Euro 2024.
According to Sun Sport, Tello and his officiating team – which includes Gabriel Chade and Ezequiel Brailovsky – are one of six refereeing teams who have been sent home from Germany after being told they will not be used in the knockout rounds. Reports from Spain also claim that Alejandro Hernandez – who was in the VAR booth on Sunday has also been axed for “not evaluating the play as indicated in the instructions” in response to the tackle on Armstrong.
Hernandez has also lost his position for not allowing VAR to step in during an incident in the first half when Grant Hanley caught Endre Botka with an elbow inside the box, which UEFA officials believe should have resulted in a penalty for Marco Rossi’s side. An official announcement from the governing body about their officiating team is expected on Friday before the last 16 ties get underway.
An infuriated Clarke was asked if he had tried to talk to Tello after the game, and the Scotland gaffer’s response may have got him in cold water with UEFA. The 60-year-old remarked: “He’s from Argentina – why would I ask him? He probably doesn’t speak the language. I don’t know.”