England fans have called it out immediately – they can’t believe this was allowed to happen
Following England’s heartbreaking Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain, a wave of discontent surged through social media as fans expressed a shared grievance. The match concluded with Spain securing a dramatic victory, thanks to Mikel Oyarzabal’s late goal. This decisive moment came in the 86th minute, shortly after Cole Palmer had equalized Nico Williams’ opening goal. With little time left on the clock, England’s hopes of staging a second comeback were slim, and the four minutes of added time proved insufficient for the task.
As the final whistle blew, frustration among England supporters reached a boiling point, primarily directed at match referee Francois Letexier. Fans accused the referee of allowing the Spanish players to waste precious time, effectively neutralizing England’s efforts to level the score. One particularly aggrieved fan took to Twitter, formerly known as X, to vent: “When 4 minutes extra time are awarded, 4 minutes should be played, not time wasting for 3 minutes by the Spanish and sideshow Bob diving all over the place.”
This sentiment was widely echoed across social media platforms. Another user lamented, “Not a minute of extra time has been played there by the way!” The frustration was palpable as yet another supporter questioned, “Also, how do you spend 3 and a half minutes of extra time just chilling on the floor and not get further time?” The general consensus was that the allocated extra time was not utilized for actual play, much to the chagrin of the England faithful.
The anger and disappointment continued to pour out in tweets and posts. One fan noted, “4 mins extra time, one min of football played in it the rest they are rolling around,” highlighting the perceived time-wasting tactics employed by the Spanish players. Another sharply criticized the referee, stating, “Multiple fouls in extra time yet he blew before the 94th minute, sh*t ref.” This comment underscored the widespread belief that the officiating had been subpar, particularly in managing the critical final moments of the match.
Central to the fans’ ire was Marc Cucurella, who they accused of deliberately killing time following his clash with Bukayo Saka. The incident exemplified what many saw as a broader issue of time-wasting that went unpunished. England supporters felt that the referee’s failure to adequately address these tactics had robbed their team of a fair chance to mount a final offensive.
The frustration and disappointment felt by England fans were amplified by the high stakes of the match and the dramatic nature of the defeat. As social media buzzed with reactions, it became clear that the perceived injustices of the closing minutes would be a talking point for some time. Supporters called for more stringent officiating standards and better management of added time to ensure that future matches would not be marred by similar controversies.
In the aftermath of the game, discussions about the role of referees in managing injury time and preventing time-wasting became a focal point. Fans and analysts alike debated potential changes to the rules and enforcement mechanisms that could help preserve the integrity of the sport during its most crucial moments. As England’s Euro 2024 campaign came to a disappointing end, the conversations sparked by this contentious final underscored the passion and investment that fans bring to the beautiful game.