Romain Rouillard / Photo credit: CLAUDIO VILLA / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP 15:53 p.m. on November 21, 2023

While they only needed a draw to validate their ticket for Euro 2024, the Italians managed to contain the Ukrainians on Monday night, in a match relocated to Leverkusen in Germany (0-0). La Nazionale also owes its salvation to a highly contentious decision by the referee.

The Italians had very... hot. Reigning European champions, the Nazionale narrowly booked their ticket for Euro 2024 after a draw against Ukraine (0-0), in a match relocated to Leverkusen, due to the Russian invasion. Luciano Spalletti's men, the new coach, finished second in Group C, behind England, and level on points with their opponents of the evening, whom they beat thanks to their 2-1 win in Milan last September.

Beyond the disappointment of failing so close to the goal, the Ukrainians woke up on Tuesday with a sense of anger. In the 93rd minute, as their team pushed to break the Italian lock and snatch a victory synonymous with qualification, winger Mykhailo Mudryk was, it seems, brought down in the penalty area by Bryan Cristante. A highly contentious action that could (should?) have awarded a penalty to the Ukrainians, but in front of which the Spanish referees will not flinch. Despite the intervention of the VAR, Mr. Jesus Gil Manzano's assistants did not deem it necessary to call him in front of the screens.

"The VAR assistant had fled to the toilet"

"From my point of view, it was a penalty," said Ukrainian coach Serhiy Rebrov, who did not want to overwhelm the refereeing body. "I wasn't there (in the penalty area) and that's just my feeling."

>>

READ ALSO – Greece-France: the Blues move to Athens in all serenity

It's a sentiment that's also shared... in Italy. "In the final seconds, Gil Manzano pretended not to see the penalty that would have allowed Ukraine to exploit a great opportunity. The VAR assistant had run away to the toilet for a while (inflammation of the prostate, I guess) and anyway... It didn't go well, but it went very well," journalist Ivan Zazzaroni wrote in an editorial published in Corriere Dello Sport.

Ukraine not yet eliminated

A frustrating scenario for Ukraine that some do not hesitate to link to the remarks made by UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin in the Italian newspaper LaPresse last October. Asked to comment on a possible failure of the Nazionale to qualify for the next European Championship, the boss of European football replied that it would be a "disaster" and that Italy was "too important". These words, repeated on Monday evening a few hours before the match, had also annoyed the Ukrainian ranks. Coach Serhiy Rebrov admitted that Čeferin's exit had "angered his men" but also caused extra motivation.

Despite this unfavourable outcome, Ukraine still have a chance of qualifying for Euro 2024. La Zbirna will be able to count on their good results in the last Nations League, which offer them a ticket for the play-offs from which they will have to emerge victorious.