Clarke rages at penalty decision as Scotland boss takes aim at Argentine referee

Steve Clarke has hit out at the referee who did not award Scotland a crucial penalty during the nation’s defeat to Hungary.

Scotland crashed out of Euro 2024 after the 1-0 loss secured their place at the bottom of Group A, with no chances of progressing in the tournament.

But the Scotland boss was incredulous at one particular decision as he questioned why an Argentinian referee Facundo Tello had been chosen to officiate a Euro 2024 game.

Ten minutes from the end of normal time, Scotland midfielder Stuart Armstrong was brought down in the box by Hungary defender Willi Orban.

But referee Tello did not award a penalty.

Nor did VAR did not overturn his decision, despite replays showing that the defender had contacted the back of Armstrong’s leg.

Hungary substitute Kevin Csoboth then went on to score the winner in the tenth minute of added time, breaking the hearts of the Tartan Army and ensuring progression to the knockout stages was impossible for Scotland.

It means the country must wait even longer to end a record which has not seen them progress into the knockout stages of a major tournament goes on.

And manager Clarke believed that one decision could have changed everything.

“The moment in the game for me is the penalty incident,” he said on reflection. “It’s one hundred percent a penalty and someone has to explain to me why it’s not a penalty. Because otherwise I’m thinking there’s something wrong.”

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And the 60-year-old took direct aim at referee Tello, as he questioned why the Argentinian official was involved in Euro 2024.

However, he conceded that the VAR officials – who were European – had made the same call.

He said: “Did I have a conversation with the officials? What’s the point, (the referee is) from Argentina.

“What’s the point? Why is it not a European referee? Trying to be clever, I don’t know, I don’t understand.

“I don’t understand why he’s here and not in his own country refereeing a game. I don’t understand how VAR can look at that and say it’s not a penalty.

“That’s just my opinion. It’s 100 percent a penalty. Somebody somewhere has to explain to me why that’s not a penalty.

“It’s 100 percent and in a one-goal game, had we got that penalty, it could have been a different night.

“I’ve got other words but I’m not going to use them. In a European competition it might have been better to have a European referee.

“But we had European VAR. Maybe the referee didn’t see the challenge clearly on the pitch but what’s the purpose of VAR if they’re not going to come in on something like that.

“It’s a penalty.”

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UEFA and South America’s governing football body struck in agreement to share referees in major tournaments, hence Tello’s involvement in the Euros.

Tello has been refereeing in the highest division of Argentine football since 2013, and he was also an official at the 2022 World Cup.

He is well-known back in Argentina for once having sent off 10 players in one game in Argentina’s Champions Trophy final.

The game was also marred by a horrific incident due to a collision involving Hungary’s Barnabas Varga, with the striker being taken to hospital directly after.

He is now in a stable condition with Hungary coach Marco Rossi confirming that he would need surgery on a facial fracture.

Clarke sent his best wishes to Varga too after the match.

He said: “I hope the lad who is injured is okay because it looked pretty bad.” 

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