Sport
Cucurella Says UEFA Changed Handball Rule After His Germany Incident
Spain defender Marc Cucurella has revealed that UEFA altered its handball rule after a controversial incident involving him in the Euro 2024 quarter-final against Germany.
During the match, the ball struck Cucurella’s arm inside the box, but no penalty was given, sparking heated debates worldwide about how handball decisions were judged at the time. Spain eventually won 2-1 with a late header from Mikel Merino.
Speaking to AS, Cucurella said UEFA even used his case as an example when explaining the rule change to players. “They told me it was because of my handball against Germany that the rules had to be adjusted,” he explained.
The Chelsea defender, however, made it clear he had no intention of handling the ball. “The shot came at me from very close, it just hit my arm. I didn’t mean it. If it was on purpose, I’d probably be the most hated guy in Spain,” he added.
Former footballer Thierry Henry has shared his thoughts on Arsenal’s match following their loss to Atlético Madrid on October 13.
Speaking during a brief interview on CBS Sports, Henry criticised the practice of players or coaches expressing certain opinions through the media instead of addressing issues directly within the dressing room.
“I’m not a coach anymore, but I always say, whoever speaks like that, out. Keep that in the dressing room, it’s as simple as that,” Henry said on CBS Sports.
“That is the only way it can work. You have to say those things to a person’s face… going through the press, I am not really a fan of that.”
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has shared his thoughts on the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, revealing that he hopes the winner will come from his team.
The manager spoke about how hard his players have worked and expressed his belief that they deserve the recognition.
“What I hope is that we win this trophy. We have players who deserve it.”
“Last year, we were the best team. We showed that it wasn’t just Ousmane Dembélé who deserved it.”
French football pundit Walid Acherchour has named Lamine Yamal as his pick to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, sparking reactions among football fans.
Acherchour’s choice came as a surprise to some fans, who expected him to support fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappé instead.
Speaking about his prediction, Acherchour expressed confidence in Yamal’s chances of winning the prestigious individual award.
“For me, Lamine Yamal, he is going to get it [2026 Ballon d’Or]. For me, there’s no doubt anymore,” Acherchour said, as quoted by Actu Foot. That start to the season shows that in fact, he was injured during the World Cup. He was the best player in La Liga, and he won the World Cup.
“Even if, for me, in fact, he doesn’t have the Ballon d’Or unanimously because his World Cup was average, even being average, he won it with Spain. He won La Liga with Barça.”
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