Italien tar sig till EM efter Ukrainas begäran om straffsparkar


Watch the penalty situation in the player above.

The conditions were clear before the Euro 2020 qualifying match between Ukraine and Italy. A draw or a win for Italy would send them to the championship in Germany next summer.

A Ukrainian victory, however, would give Ukraine a direct spot in the Euros, while Italy would have to qualify through the Nations League.

Premier League stars protested

The match, played in Germany, was tight and offered few scoring opportunities – but in the 93rd minute, the opportunity arose for Ukraine.

The ball was played into the penalty area from the right flank, and Chelsea’s star Mychajlo Mudryk went down.

However, the referee chose not to award a penalty. There was great anger at the Ukrainian bench, and Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko was one of several who showed their dissatisfaction.

”For me, it’s a penalty, but VAR makes the decision, not us. The referee on the field was not called to look at the situation,” said Ukraine’s national team coach Serhij Rebrov at the press conference, according to Tuttomercato.

The game ended 0-0 and Ukraine will have to try to qualify for the Euros through the Nations League playoffs next spring.