VAR expert Dale Johnson explained that the referee awarded England a crucial penalty in their Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands due to what he deemed a “dangerous” tackle by Denzel Dumfries.
The incident occurred when Harry Kane’s foot connected with Dumfries’ as he took a shot, prompting referee Felix Zwayer to initially wave play on. However, after a VAR review, Zwayer reversed his decision. Allowing Kane to equalise from the spot, beating Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
The decision sparked outrage among the Dutch team and staff, who vocally contested the call. Johnson explained that despite an unwritten rule in football where a completed shot typically negates a penalty. The dangerous nature of Dumfries’ challenge warranted the intervention.
“There’s an unwritten law in football that if a player manages to complete a shot on goal and is then caught by a defending player, there shouldn’t be a penalty,” Johnson wrote on ESPN. “Mainly it’s because the attacking team cannot lose out on anything because of the challenge — the shot has been released and the move is over.”
However, Johnson noted that VAR official Bastian Dankert deemed Dumfries’ action reckless. As he led with his studs rather than attempting to play the ball. Which led to the penalty and a yellow card for Dumfries. “And that’s the one area where referees can see a defender catching an attacker after a shot as a penalty — when it’s reckless or dangerous,” Johnson added.
Dumfries accepted responsibility for the incident but remained unconvinced about the decision. “I want to block the shot, I barely touch him. I do think [it’s a VAR penalty]. You know when he goes to the sideline, he can give it. I take full responsibility,” Dumfries stated.
Netherlands’ coach Ronald Koeman was furious with the call, expressing his discontent in his post-match press conference. “In my opinion it should not have been a penalty. He kicked the ball and the boots touched. I think that we cannot play properly football and this is due to VAR. It really breaks football,” Koeman said.
The decision also drew severe criticism from former Dutch international Pierre van Hooijdonk, who called for Zwayer to be “blacklisted” for his “terrible” officiating.
The controversial penalty remains a hot topic, highlighting the ongoing debate over VAR’s impact on the game and its role in critical match decisions.
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