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Dutch referee Danny Makkelie apologized after denying Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal the winning goal in Saturday’s controversial 2-2 draw against Serbia in a qualifying match for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Serbian defender Stefan Mitrovic tried to clear Ronaldo’s goal in injury time, but despite his efforts, the ball had crossed the line.
With no VAR or goal line technology to review the incident, Makkelie greeted the game to the dismay of Ronaldo and his teammates.
“In accordance with FIFA policies, all I can say is that I apologized to the national coach, Mr. Fernando Santos, and to the Portuguese team for what happened,” Makkelie told The ball, as reported ESPN.
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“As a team of referees, we always work hard to make good decisions. When we’re on the news like this, it doesn’t make us happy at all.
Makkelie, 38, has been an international referee since 2008 and coached the 2020 Europa League final between Sevilla and Inter Milan.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos had revealed that Makkelie immediately apologized to him after the match and admitted that he was “embarrassed” by the mistake.
Cristiano Ronaldo came out angry
After shooting off the field and throwing his captain’s armband to the ground when his first goal was denied in the qualifying campaign, Ronaldo expressed his frustration on Instagram.
“There are moments that are difficult to digest, especially when we feel that the entire nation is being punished,” he wrote. “We will hold our heads high and move on to the next challenge.”
Ronaldo and Portugal return to action on Tuesday when they travel to Luxembourg for their Group A World Cup qualifier.
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