Denzel Dumfries appeared to challenge Harry Kane in a normal manner, but instead of winning his team a penalty, he was given a yellow card.

Harry Kane’s contentious penalty kick on minute 14 gave England a fortuitous path back into their Euro 2024 semi-final matchup against the Netherlands.

England quickly responded from the penalty spot after Xavi Simons gave the Netherlands the lead early on, but the players from the Netherlands were incensed.

To the dismay of many on the ground and abroad, referee Felix Zwayer directed to the spot after a VAR assessment, despite Kane’s strike going past the bar. Bastian Dankert, the match’s VAR, examined the event and suggested that Zwayer examine the pitchside monitor.

The 90th-minute goal by Ollie Watkins sealed England’s historic first major final abroad, but the Dutch remained incensed about the penalty long after the final sizzled.

“The referee ran back inside straight after the full time whistle – that says a lot,” Virgil van Dijk remarked.

“My foot’s hanging off so he definitely caught me,” declared Kane. You may receive them occasionally or not. Seeing that go in the back of the net made me happy to step up. Yes, it was a pleasant feeling.

“I don’t care; I don’t think it’s a penalty.”Columnist Jamie Carragher of Telegraph Sport remarked during the live coverage that it was “never a penalty,” and co-commentator Lee Dixon of ITV stated, “I’m pleased, don’t get me wrong, but you have to challenge for the ball.” Although I don’t think it’s a penalty, I don’t mind.

At half-time, Ian Wright and Gary Neville got into a violent argument in the ITV studio over the decision.

“As a defender, I think it’s a disgrace,” Neville stated. to award that penalty in a semi-final, but at any moment. There is no way there was a penalty, and very few England players were making the argument. You just hope for the best.

Wright retorted, calling that careless. He has his studs on. Anywhere else on the field, they have given it, and it is a foul.

Neville replied angrily, saying, “If someone thinks that’s reckless? It’s not a penalty, really. The attempt to prevent the shot must be authorized.

Speaking on BBC 5 Live, former England captain Alan Shearer stated: “England players are looking at the referee; they believe there has been a collision.” Harry Kane and Denzel Dumfries do have a connection. Dumfries made no touch with the ball.

England “got lucky” with the penalty, according to Michael Owen, who disputedly won a penalty that David Beckham scored during the 2002 World Cup against Argentina.

Because Zwayer was involved in a match-fixing scandal earlier in his career, his hiring was met with controversy.

Zwayer acknowledged accepting money in 2006 from Robert Hoyzer, a banned referee who was charged with match-fixing but not with changing the result of a game. Zwayer received a six-month DFB suspension for his role as football official in exposing Hoyzer’s scheme to rig matches.

The VAR made a mistake by interfering. The referee made the right decision while in a favorable position. Since there was no foul, there should have been no penalty kick given.

This was not a glaringly evident mistake, and regrettably, we witness another VAR intervention with the referee deviating from his first ruling.

The referee was in the perfect spot. The VAR shouldn’t have stepped in.