Bastian Schweinsteiger barely put a foot wrong in first half of Germany’s European Championship semifinal against France. It was his hand that got him and his team into trouble.
Battling for position with Patrice Evra at a corner in first-half stoppage time of Thursday’s match, Schweinsteiger’s raised arm and hand made contact with the ball and referee Nicola Rizzoli pointed to the spot. The 31-year-old Germany captain could only look on as Antoine Griezmann calmly converted the spot kick with the last touch of the first half.
With Griezmann doubling France’s lead in the 72nd minute, pouncing on sloppy defending and a ham-fisted clearance by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, Schweinsteiger’s miserable, injury-marred season finally ended — one match too early for his liking.
loew didn’t blame his captain for the penalty, which had echoes of the quarterfinal against Italy, when defender Jerome Boateng gave away a spot kick with a handball.
“There’s nothing to blame him for,” loew said of his captain, who won his 120th cap on the night. “You can say the hand shouldn’t be there, but there are movements when you jump up, you can’t control them. I can’t blame any player for that.”