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Uefa backs Dutch 'offside' goal decision

10/06/2008

European football's governing body Uefa has come out in support of referee Peter Frojdfeldt after he awarded the Netherlands a controversial opening goal against Italy.

Ruud van Nistelrooy poked home from close range, apparently when in an offside position, to give the Dutch a 1-0 lead midway through the first half of their opening match of Euro 2008.

The goal led to furious protests from the Italians, with Luca Toni picking up a booking for dissent.

But Uefa has since clarified a ruling which meant that Italy defender Christian Panucci, who was lying prone behind the goalline when the goal was scored, was playing Van Nistelrooy onside.

"I would like to take the opportunity to explain and emphasise that the goal was correctly awarded by the referee team," commented Uefa general secretary David Taylor.

"I think there's a lack of understanding among the general football public, and I think it's understandable because this was an unusual situation.

"The player [Van Nistelrooy] was not offside, because, in addition to the Italian goalkeeper, there was another Italian player in front of the goalscorer.

"Even though that other Italian player at the time had actually fallen off the pitch, his position was still relevant for the purposes of the offside law."

Taylor said the relevant law, number 11 in the Laws of the Game, was in place to prevent the defending team from stepping off the pitch in order to play the opposition offside.

The Uefa chief admitted it the law as it was applied is "a widely-known interpretation of the offside law among referees that is not generally known by the wider football public" and so was understanding of the confusion surrounding the goal at the time.

However, he reiterated that the rules backed the officials' decision and Uefa would stand by the referee in this case.