ROY KEANE hilariously agreed with VAR chief Christina Unkel’s assessment of the refereeing standard at Euro 2024… before he claimed she is also a lawyer.
Former Fifa official Unkel, 37, has been used as a refereeing and rules expert on ITV’s coverage of the Euros in Germany this summer.
Pundits have challenged the American when she has given her opinion on controversial decisions, but she has been widely praised for educating and explaining audiences about certain calls.
And even Manchester United legend Keane, 52, who often takes umbrage with referees, sided with Unkel following the conclusion of the Euros on Sunday as she praised the standard of officiating.
When ITV presenter Mark Pougatch asked her about the level of refereeing at the tournament, she replied: “There’s been much consistency as we saw there.
“High level threshold at the last Euros, same level of threshold this time. Very few game critical decisions we had to talk about.
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“Tonight [the final] you saw some of the best refereeing in this tournament with the high level of threshold of refereeing decisions that were made and just allowing the teams to play.”
Cutting back to Pougatch, he turned to Keane and said: “I think we agree. Christina’s explained things very well, Roy.”
To which the ex-Ireland midfielder brilliantly responded: “First time this tournament I’ve agreed with her. She beat me up a few times with her knowledge.
“I never knew she was a lawyer, nobody told me that. You would have saved me a lot of hassle.”
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After Pougatch then joked Keane would be getting a letter through the post from “lawyer” Unkel, Ian Wright finished the segment with a glowing appraisal of the refereeing expert.
The Arsenal icon said: “She’s the greatest.
“She makes everything sound perfect. I’ll believe anything she says.”
Maybe Kane really is cursed as trophy drought goes on… he may never get a better chance with England
IT now seems as though he really is cursed. Along with the rest of us, writes Charlie Wyett.
Tragically, unbelievably, Harry Kane’s agonising search for a trophy still continues and you know have to wonder whether he will ever actually manage it.
Certainly for England, in any case.
Kane has now suffered defeat in three major club finals and two finals of the European Championships.
Last night, the Three Lions captain was so ineffective that he was replaced by Ollie Watkins just after the hour.
Like much of this tournament, he really struggled to make the impact when England needed him, not that he had much service.
He had one shot in the first half and that was Rodri, who subsequently injured himself and went off at the break.
When Cole Palmer struck that brilliant equaliser, Kane was off on his feet from the bench, only for the national team to get another kick in the bo**ocks at the end.
Kane was substituted in both the games against Switzerland and Holland which England went on to win but on this occasion, he could only witness a gut-wrenching twist just when it looked as though Gareth Southgate’s team had dug their way out of trouble.
The Bayern Munich striker suffered the World Cup 2018 semi-final loss against Croatia, endured heartbreak against Italy in the Euro2020 final and then missed from the spot in the World Cup 2022 quarter-final against France.
He really thought that this was his time, even though England did not play well in Germany.
Kane will know that he will have more opportunities with England. But not many more.
The World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico seems a long way away and it will surely be under a new manager. Will England be better than they are now? Probably not.
And we are all left to wonder how much better England would have been with a fit and firing Kane at his very best.
Read the full verdict on the curse of Harry Kane…
Or check out all of Charlie Wyett’s Euro 2024 stories…
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
