Assistant ref who failed to give Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘goal’ in Serbia DROPPED from Holland’s Euro 2020 officiating team
THE assistant who failed to give Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘goal’ for Portugal against Serbia has been DROPPED from Holland’s Euro 2020 officiating team - by the man who was refereeing the same game.
Mario Diks’ blunder made him the centre of attention in last month’s controversial World Cup qualifier that ended 2-2.
And his crucial mistake has now resulted in exile from the Dutch Euro ref squad, with the decision made by Danny Makkelie - who was in charge of the fiery fixture.
The incident happened when Ronaldo, 36, appeared to put the ball over the line with just seconds on the clock to make it 3-2 to Portugal.
Serbia skipper Stefan Mitrovic pulled off a desperate clearance to prevent the ball from hitting the back of the net.
But linesman Diks, who was unable to call upon goal-line technology, did not raise his flag to confirm it had gone in.
That led to a furious outburst from Ronaldo, who was adamant the ball had crossed the line.
He marched over to Diks to argue his case but his protest fell on deaf ears as the whistle blew for a 2-2 result.
Replays showed Ronaldo had every reason to be dismayed, with multiple angles showing the ball was over the line.
Dutch ref Makkelie, promptly booked a raging Ronaldo, who walked off the field waving his arms in disbelief before ripping off his captain’s armband and launching it to the floor.
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However, Makkelie later apologised to Ronnie for Diks' mistake that cost Portugal the win.
And Makkelie has now axed assistant Diks from his officiating team for this summer’s Euros.
It remains to be seen if Ronaldo is appeased though, with the veteran refusing to say sorry for his behaviour in the game.
He explained: Ronaldo was unapologetic after the final whistle, writing on social media: “Being captain of the Portugal team is one of the greatest privileges of my life.
“I always give and will give everything for my country, that will never change.
“But there are difficult times to deal with, especially when we feel that an entire nation is being harmed.
“Lift your head and face the next challenge now! Strength, Portugal.”
But Ronnie’s actions were labelled ‘unacceptable’ and ‘setting a bad example’ to kids who idolise him.
However, there was some good news to come from the incident, with Ronnie’s discarded captain’s armband put up for auction to raise money for a sick child in Serbia.