Denmark coach blasts VAR calls for deciding Germany game - ESPN

DORTMUND, Germany — Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand hit out at «ridiculous handball rules» and said «this is not how football should be» after two VAR decisions in the space of two minutes against his team helped Euro 2024 hosts Germany seal a 2-0 round of 16 victory in Dortmund.

Premier League referee Michael Oliver ruled out a Joachim Andersen goal on 48 minutes following a VAR intervention that highlighted a marginal offside involving Denmark midfielder Thomas Delaney.

Two minutes later, Oliver awarded a penalty to Germany after VAR officials Stuart Attwell and David Coote urged him to review an apparent handball by Andersen from David Raum's cross. Kai Havertz scored from the spot to put Germany 1-0 ahead and Jamal Musiala then completed the hosts win with a solo goal later in the second-half.

But an angry Hjulmand questioned the use of VAR after the game and said that both decisions went against his team.

«It was decided by two VAR decisions,» Hjulmand said. «I have the photo here [of the Delaney offside]. It was one centimetre. It doesn't make sense, this is not how we are supposed to be using VAR.

»And then after a few minutes, it's a penalty [to Germany]. I am so tired of the ridiculous handball rules. We should not require defender to be playing with hands like this. He [Andersen] was running normally, it's a normal situation and he was hit with the ball from a metre away.

«I rarely talk about these decisions, but it was very decisive for this game. Being in front at 1-0 would have been very important and changed everything for our team.

»Good luck for Germany, but in my opinion, this is not how football should be."

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann admitted that he had no qualms with Hjulmand's complaints, saying