England national team striker Harry Kane called referee Danny Makkelie, disrupting the goal scored by Danny Welbeck to the Spanish national team.
England lost 1-2 to Spain in the 2018 UEFA Nations League Group 4 match at Wembley Stadium on Saturday (8/9). England, who had a 1-0 lead thanks to Marcus Rashford’s goal, turned 1-2 through Saul Niguez’s 13th minute goal and Rodrigo Moreno (32).
England actually managed to break into La Furia Roja’s goal which was escorted by David De Gea in six minutes of additional second-half time through Welbeck’s goal utilizing the visitors’ defenses.
Sergio Ramos tried to dispel a cross from the English player, but the ball bounced and waved high in front of goalkeeper De Gea. Welbeck tried to heading the ball, but De Gea first ‘flew’ to pick the ball so the Arsenal striker just stood back to the goalkeeper.
De Gea then did not perfectly catch the ball so that the Welbeck head and the Spanish goalkeeper fell on the Three Lions players. Aware of the ball bouncing to him, Welbeck immediately kicked the ball into the goal and nested without being able to be denied by De Gea. The England players had a chance to celebrate the goal, but from a distance the assistant referee raised the flag sign that there had been a violation committed by Welbeck.
The referee also agreed with his assistant and annulled Welbeck’s goal. Suddenly, the players had protested about Makkelie’s decision not to approve Welbeck’s goal. Kane assessed that Welbeck did not commit a violation at all because his position was not active in disturbing De Gea so that the goal should have been allowed.
“It’s 100 percent [goal]. In big moments, the referee should still make a firm decision, but he messed it up,” explained Kane as quoted by Independent.
“In this important moment, you need a referee who is firm in his decision and is not influenced by any party.”
Kane admitted that he was very clear that Welbeck had not committed a violation at all [De Gea who failed to catch the ball well].
“Danny Welbeck just stood there [in front of goal], De Gea jumped to catch the ball but he fell on Danny. There was no offense, then the ball fell,” Kane explained.
England were also unable to avoid defeat at home with a 1-2 defeat to Spain.
