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It seems that the assistant referee did not see him. Nor the Spanish rule. Replays on television were inconclusive.
But Euro 2020 sparked the first real controversy on Tuesday:
Did German Antonio Rudiger bite France’s Paul Pogba on the shoulder?
Let’s go to the video.
The incident occurred shortly before the end of the first half, with Rudiger snuggling to pin down Pogba from behind as he prepared to receive a deep throw-in at the end of Germany during their teams’ group stage match in Munich. Suddenly, Rudiger, the German defender, pressed his face to the French midfielder’s rear, and the latter fired a shot, grabbing his right shoulder from behind and then leaning forward as he grabbed it.
In the US, ESPN’s broadcast team didn’t draw any conclusions about what happened. In Britain, Roy Keane, who knows a thing or two about being lashed at an opponent, described it as a “nibble” rather than a bite on ITV. In Brazil, as he prepares to play for Uruguay in the Copa America on Friday, Luis Suarez may have wondered why he suddenly appeared on Twitter.
But was it a sting? Or does it look like only one?
The replay offered Rudiger enough denial, as former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg suggested to ESPN. He said there was no way a match referee – or even the tournament’s video review system – could judge it beyond a reasonable doubt based on the replays available. (The VAR was more confident about the two French goals, which he disallowed for offside.)
But once Pogba vs Rudiger became a bright spot, it was over. Play continued, as Rudiger hit a free kick. Minutes later, it was the first half. But what exactly was Pogba complaining about?
Neither Pogba nor Rudiger offered any clarification after the match, which France won 1-0.
Update: The players seemed to have resolved any runners, if any, after the final whistle.
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Picture Credit!