Steve Clarke produces 'car crash of an interview' when asked about referee in Scotland's defeat to Hungary
Steve Clarke has been slammed for producing a 'car crash of an interview" after Scotland were eliminated from Euro 2024 following a last-gasp defeat to Hungary.
With Scotland committing men forward in search of a first winning goal at the tournament, Hungary countered and Kevin Csoboth popped up in the 10th minute of added time.
It means they finished bottom of Group A, having taken just one point from their three games in Germany.
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They were hammered by the hosts in the opener before responding well with a 1-1 draw against Switzerland, who went through as runners up in the group.
Scotland felt aggrieved after being denied a penalty when Will Orban appeared to go through the back of Stuart Armstrong inside the area at 0-0.
Argentine ref Facundo Tello waved away the protests and there was no VAR review to reverse the decision.
Clarke was furious and launched an attack on Tello, the second non-European referee to take charge of a Euro 2024 fixture.
"It's a penalty, I do not know for the life of me why it's not given," he told BBC.
The former West Brom and Reading boss was asked if he had sought any explanation from the referee.
He responded: "He's from Argentina. How would I ask him? Probably doesn't speak the language, I don't know. Why's he here, why's it not a European referee?"
Steve Clarke's anti Argentinian rant 😂 pic.twitter.com/2I5LhvO3Vg
— Le Souness (@LeSouness) June 23, 2024
Tello, who once sent off 10 players in the Champions Trophy final between Racing Club and Boca Juniors in his native Argentina in November 2022, officiated three fixtures at the 2022 World Cup.
The 42-year old and his two assistants are the only group of officials from outside of Europe at the tournament.
Their appointment is part of an ongoing partnership between UEFA and CONMEBOL, South American's football governing body.
In return, Italian referee Maurizio Mariani has been assigned games at the Copa America tournament.
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Josh Lawless