What's the point of VAR? Spanish fans are outraged by the penalty not given for the foul on Laporte
Alex Olise
Dailysports's expert
Translated by the editors
Fans believe that the English team was lucky not to concede a penalty after the clash between Declan Rice and Aymeric Laporte in the Euro 2024 final.
The former Manchester City defender fell in the penalty area after being held by Rice during a corner kick for Spain in the first half. However, French referee François Letexier ignored the players' protests.
Replays showed that the Arsenal midfielder held his opponent for a significant amount of time before he fell to the ground. Despite this, no penalty was awarded, and VAR did not intervene.
Some Spanish fans expressed confusion over the referee's decision not to award a penalty, while others questioned the purpose of VAR if it is not used in such situations.
One fan wrote on X: "What the hell, VAR?" Another commented: "Spain didn't get a penalty. Declan Rice hugged Laporte with both hands. Harsh decision!"
A third observer remarked: "Lao, England is the new 'Real Madrid'. How is it possible that there was no penalty in favor of Spain?"
Another fan said: "I don't understand how Spain didn't get a penalty. It was a penalty by Rice."
Under Luis de la Fuente's guidance, Spain settled for a corner kick, but their spirits were lifted after the break when Nico Williams scored.
