Fans question decision in build-up to England’s Euro 2024 winner against the Netherlands… as Virgil van Dijk slams referee Felix Zwayer after defeat
Netherlands fans were left fuming at the failure to award a corner before England booked their place in the final of Euro 2024.
The Three Lions will take on Spain on Sunday after beating the Netherlands 2-1 on Wednesday night, with Ollie Watkins coming off the bench to score a last-minute winner.
The game had looked to be heading to extra time when the Aston Villa forward fired home, triggering ecstatic scenes from the England faithful as they were left readying their tickets for the weekend.
But there have been suggestions that the goal should never have happened, with many arguing a wrong call was made just moments before Watkins’ strike.
Referee Felix Zwayer awarded England a goal kick instead of Netherlands a corner at the other end of the pitch following a free kick, with John Stones seemingly heading out, and Dutch fans took to social media to slam the call.
‘NO corner kick + A FREEKICK FOR for England + a yellow card for Virgil van Dijk!,’ one fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter. ‘THIS REFEREE IS F***ING TERRIBLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!’
Another posted: ‘Not even a corner for Netherlands??? This ref is blind.’
A third added: ‘This ref is so bad…how is that not a corner.’
Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk, meanwhile, said after the game: ‘The referee ran back inside straight after the full time whistle, that says a lot.’
Replays showed that the free kick, swung in by Joey Veerman, had come off Stones, though the referee seemed to think it had been headed wide by Van Dijk.
The Liverpool defender was booked for his protests, and, just seconds later, England attacked and Watkins fired into the bottom corner past Bart Verbruggen.
‘I feel for Netherlands I can’t lie cause the ref has done them dirty,’ another fan wrote on X. ‘Even the last 5 mins they should’ve had a corner & Gakpo given a foul against him for nothing.’
Fans also questioned the decision to award England a penalty in the first half, with Harry Kane going down under a challenge from Denzel Dumfries.
Calls were initially waved away, before a VAR check resulted in a spot kick, and Harry Kane netting.
