As the Euro 2024 group stage concludes, the tournament has been marked by numerous goals and unexpected twists. With exciting matches and stunning goals, there has also been no shortage of fierce tackles and heated disputes, keeping referees extremely busy.
Players Suspended for the Round of 16
As of the Round of 16, ten players will be absent due to accumulating two yellow cards in the final group stage matches. These players include:
- Patrick Wimmer (Austria)
- Morten Hjulmand (Denmark)
- Jonathan Tah (Germany)
- Anzor Mekvabishvili (Georgia)
- Calafioli (Italy)
- Bancu (Romania)
- Silvan Widmer (Switzerland)
- Erik Janza (Slovenia)
- Hakan Calhanoglu (Turkey)
- Samet Akaydin (Turkey)
UEFA’s Yellow Card Rules
According to UEFA’s rules, a player who receives two yellow cards is suspended for one match. If a player is booked four times before the semifinals, they will face an additional one-match ban. Notably, yellow card counts are reset after the quarterfinals.
In another development, a referee has been relieved of his duties at Euro 2024 due to a significant error in the France vs. Austria match. Jesus Gil Manzano has been dismissed from the tournament after making a critical mistake in his only match on German soil.
One of the most glaring errors occurred in the 35th minute when Gil Manzano awarded a goal kick to France, despite Austria clearly deserving a corner. Just three minutes later, Austria conceded an own goal by Max Wober.
In addition to Gil Manzano, two assistants, Diego Barbero Sevilla and Angel Nevado Rodriguez, along with VAR official Alejandro Hernandez, have also been suspended. All four officials are from Spain.
This incident underscores the intense scrutiny and high stakes of officiating in major international tournaments. As Euro 2024 progresses into the knockout stages, the pressure on referees and players alike remains as high as ever.
