Overview
- A contact between Ivan Perišić and Marc Cucurella led to Perišić receiving a second yellow and a red card after the referee sent him off following Cucurella’s immediate protest.
- The match ended 2-1 to Spain when Mikel Merino scored a late winner that followed the dismissal and a VAR review that left the on‑field decision unchanged.
- Broadcast footage and reports say Cucurella reacted vehemently, picked up a fallen red card and handed it back to referee Erik Lambrechts as Croatian fans booed him at every touch.
- Croatia coach Slaven Bilić and DAZN commentator Jan Platte criticized Cucurella’s behavior as provocative while public figures including Boris Becker also condemned the incident on social media, and Cucurella defended the sanction to Spanish press.
- The episode builds on Cucurella’s controversial reputation after an unpunished Euro 2024 handball and raises fresh questions about gamesmanship, how referees respond to player reactions, and the limits of VAR in settling intent disputes.