Controversy Surrounds Disallowed Goal as Netherlands and France Play Out Goalless Draw at Euro 2024

Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman expressed his frustration at the disallowed goal scored by Xavi Simons in their goalless draw against France at Euro 2024. Simons, his teammates, and the Dutch crowd were convinced that the goal should have stood, but the on-field officials deemed it offside due to the presence of Dutch full-back Denzel Dumfries impeding the goalkeeper. The use of VAR was a major talking point, with Koeman questioning the time taken to reach a decision. France coach Didier Deschamps believed the correct decision was made, but former England strikers Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker disagreed, stating that the goalkeeper was not impeded. Wayne Rooney and Cesc Fabregas suggested that the referee should have reviewed the pitchside monitor. Former Netherlands defender Mario Melchiot conceded that Dumfries did impact the goalkeeper’s ability to save the ball. Despite the controversy, Koeman accepted the outcome and considered the draw a fair result. France had several chances but failed to score, with this being their most shots without finding the net in a major tournament game since the Euro 2016 final against Portugal. The Netherlands will face Austria in their final Group D game, while France will take on Poland, who have already been eliminated.