Handpiel-Zoff: Spain's coach looks back on the European Championship scandal!

Handpiel-Zoff: Spain's coach looks back on the European Championship scandal!

Spain's national coach Luis de la Fuente has expressed detailed controversy about Marc Cucurella's handball in the quarter-finals of the 2024 football European Championship. In an interview that was published on June 5, 2025, de la Fuente emphasizes that the rules were clear at the time and was not available. This happened during the game when Jamal Musiala shot the ball on the hand of Cucurella and the referee did not see this as a punishable handball. After extra time, Spain prevailed 2-1, which led to the immediate nationwide outrage because Germany left the tournament while Spain later won the title. ZVW reported that the UEFA was finally granted that it was a wrong decision.

In the run-up to the Nation's League semi-final against France, de la Fuente is unimpressed and sees no clear favorite in this duel. The game will take place on Thursday at 9:00 p.m. in Stuttgart, where the tension among the players is great, especially for Marc Cucurella, who wants to leave the episode around his handball behind. Loud Has has Cucurella understanding for the anger of German fans, but remains that he did not do anything wrong.

The Nations League has undergone a comprehensive reform for the 2024/25 season. The aim of these changes is to increase the number of spectators and offer more games between top nations. The mode changes include a division of the 54 participating nations into four leagues (A to D) and the introduction of a quarter-final for league A. From March 20 to 25, 2025, the quarter-finals will take place from a semi-final June 4th and the final on June 8, 2025.

The reforms also stipulate that the Nations League table is important for the World Cup qualification. A total of 13 starting positions for the World Cup are awarded, with two of the 12 playoff teams being determined by the Nation's League mode. In the event of a tie, certain criteria such as the goal difference in direct comparison.

With an intensive preparation time between September and November, the Nations League will continue to play a crucial role in the European football calendar. In the meantime, the Spanish team is preparing for further challenges under de la Fuente. The focus is particularly on the emerging 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, who celebrated great success with FC Barcelona this season.