• World Cup 2022 Controversial draw for Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo's goal that did not enter?

The subject of great controversy after not conceding a goal by

Cristiano Ronaldo

on Saturday in the World Cup qualifying match Serbia-Portugal (2-2), the Dutch referee

Danny Makkelie

confirmed that he apologized for his mistake, according to statements to the sports newspaper

A Ball

this Monday.

"All I can say is that I apologized to the coach, Mr.

Fernando Santos

, and the Portuguese team for what happened," said the 38-year-old.

"As a referee team, we always work hard to make the right decisions and when we appear on the covers in this way, we are not satisfied at all," he added, referring to the criticism received especially in the Portuguese press.

Last Saturday, in the last minute of added time, with a two-goal tie on the scoreboard, the referee did not concede a goal in a shot by Cristiano Ronaldo that clearly crossed the line before the ball was cleared by a defender.

Annoyed with the referee's decision, Ronaldo angrily protested,

earning him a yellow card, and when he retired from the pitch he threw the Portuguese captain's armband to the ground

.

"The referee has now made public what he told me after the match, that he was embarrassed by a terrible mistake," declared Fernando Santos on the eve of the match against Luxembourg on the third day of the European qualification for Qatar 2022.

After its initial victory against Azerbaijan (1-0) and its draw in Serbia, the current European champion is second in group A, although tied on points (4) with the Serbs, who lead the key.

The pandemic delayed the VAR

Unlike in other competitions, in this World Cup qualification phase the referees do not have the VAR (video refereeing) or the scoring technology to confirm or not the 'phantom goals'.

"In 2019, UEFA proposed to FIFA to implement VAR in the qualifying stages for the World Cup, but the impact of the pandemic and logistical reasons led to postponing the implementation of VAR in the European group stage. League and to withdraw the proposal of implementation in the classification "for the World Cup, explained the highest instance of European football in a statement this Monday.

"VAR was also not used in the Nations League in autumn 2020 and has never been used yet for a qualifying round for a European Championship," UEFA added.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • sports

  • Portugal National Soccer Team

  • Cristiano Ronaldo

Soccer World Cup 2022Portugal controversial tie: Cristiano Ronaldo's goal that did not enter?

Champions Pepe's revenge against Cristiano, 18 years later

Soccer World Cup 2022Dani Olmo, the boy who chose the difficult path in football

See links of interest

  • 2021 business calendar

  • Tenerife - Las Palmas

  • Fuenlabrada - Mallorca