SFA lodges formal complaint with UEFA after controversial VAR ruling costs Scotland victory against Spain

The Scottish FA is contacting UEFA to seek clarification regarding Scott McTominay's disallowed goal during Thursday night's 2-0 defeat in Spain. Despite the Manchester United midfielder appearing to give Scotland the lead in the second half, the goal was disallowed by Dutch referee Serdar Gözübüyük after a VAR review.

The SFA seeks clarification on the decision-making process and the sequence of seemingly contradictory events regarding the disallowed goal.

However, a UEFA source confirmed to We News on Friday that McTominay's strike was chalked off for offside against Hendry by referee Gözübüyük.

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McTominay's goal for Scotland was disallowed for offside

Spain emerged victorious in the Euro 2024 qualifier held in Seville, securing a 2-0 win. Despite this loss, Scotland, currently leading Group A, still has a chance of qualifying for next year's tournament in Germany. If Spain manages to avoid a defeat in their upcoming match against Norway on Sunday, Scotland will have an opportunity to secure their spot in the tournament. Alternatively, Scotland will have to face Georgia in an away match and then host Norway next month in their pursuit of consecutive qualifications for the European Championships under the leadership of Steve Clarke.

"When asked about the incident, Clarke expressed that, at the time, they believed it to be a goal. He acknowledged the likelihood of the referee overturning it upon review and stated that there was no point in dwelling on it. There seemed to be some confusion at that moment regarding whether it was ruled offside or due to a foul on the keeper."

Taking into account both instances, Jack Hendry was slightly offside and when he approached the goalkeeper, they interpreted it as Jack's participation in the play. However, I must emphasize that regardless of Jack Hendry's positioning, there was no possible way for the goalkeeper to make a save.

It is simply a matter of moving forward. The VAR decision undoubtedly worked against us. Furthermore, the difficulty increases when we concede a goal, and Spain's second goal only adds a polished appearance for them, despite not deserving it.

McGinn: Circumstances made winning impossible

Amidst the McTominay's disallowed goal controversy, Clarke emphasized the importance of his players staying composed during the match, despite John McGinn's confusion about the decision.

Speaking to Viaplay, vice-captain McGinn expressed his frustration, stating that the decision was changed during the game, indicating that it was not clear and obvious.

McGinn further explained that at that specific moment, Jack made the choice to step towards the opposing side. McGinn emphasized that there was absolutely no chance for him to save it.

"He initially claims it's a foul, but upon realizing it's not, he switches it to an offside call.

"It's an absolute game-changer. That goal secures our qualification. They now require two goals. My heart goes out to Scott McTominay, but sometimes luck favors you, and tonight was not one of those occasions.

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Alvaro Morata's goal proved crucial as Spain secured a 2-0 victory in Seville. Although we may not be overly disheartened, our aim was to qualify tonight and we had the ability to achieve it. We desire to secure our qualification on our own, rather than relying on other teams.

"The big moments went against us. There's no doubt we can still improve but we put in some shift.

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McTominay's goal was disallowed after a VAR check

"We were aware that reaching a specific point would lead us to success, but it was exceptionally difficult to accept the setback of losing Robbo [Andy Robertson] so early in the game.

Moreover, just as we assumed we had the upper hand, the situation turned against us when they managed to score the first goal. Perhaps we could have defended against it more effectively, but it was undeniably disheartening to face such a challenging outcome."

"We endured intense competition throughout the match, making it incredibly challenging to secure a victory in this difficult environment. Given the circumstances, it was practically impossible.

"From a Scottish perspective, whether on the field, in the stands, or in the dugout, it seemed as though we would never receive a favorable decision."

The inability to win 50-50 balls and failing to successfully execute fair challenges made it incredibly challenging to gain any advantage against a team of world-class caliber. Achieving victory in such circumstances requires an impeccable performance, which was an unattainable feat in this case.