Player on the end of tournament changing referee error speaks out after UEFA confirm the mistake at Euro 2024

A player who was impacted by a significant referee mistake at Euro 2024 has finally broken his silence.

UEFA released a statement on Monday confirming that a huge mistake had been made during the 2024 European Championships that, if it had gone the other way, could have completely changed the tournament.

The statement revealed that Germany should have been awarded a penalty during their quarter-final match against Spain after Chelsea defender Cucurella handled the ball in the Spanish box.

And now, one of Germany's top players has broken their silence on the statement, and they are not happy.

On Monday, while commentating on Icon League, the small league inspired by the Kings League that Toni Kroos founded with streamer Elias Nerlich, the former midfielder offered his reaction to the news about the decision.

According to RealTotal, the 34-year-old said: “It took them three months to realise it was handball, which almost everyone actually managed to see in a second. That calms me down a lot [laughs]. Can I now call myself European champion because they’ve officially confirmed it? I don’t think so.”

Kroos retired from football following Euro 2024, having agreed to play at the tournament despite retiring from international football in July 2021.

Therefore, winning the Euros trophy for his country while they hosted the major international tournament would have been the perfect send-off to a decorated 17 year career.

However, a 119th minute winner from Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino knocked the Germany out of Euro 2024 and ended Kroos' career.

Germany were outraged after Cucurella committed a handball in the box at Euro 2024. (Image: Getty)

But it could have been completely different as UEFA admitted that referee Anthony Taylor made an error during the second half as, while the score remained 1-1 a shot from Jamal Musiala was blocked by the outreached arm of Cucurella but, despite the use of VAR, no penalty was awarded.

UEFA's statement regarding the incident said: “Following the latest UEFA guidelines, hand-to-ball contact that stops a shot on goal should be punished more strictly, and in most cases a penalty kick should be awarded, unless the defender’s arm is very close to the body or in contact with the body. In this case [Cucurella], the defender stops the shot on goal with his arm, which is not very close to the body, making himself bigger, so a penalty kick should have been awarded.”