Fans mock linesman for running on the pitch during Portugal’s dramatic win over Slovenia… as footage shows him sprinting on the wing before Benjamin Sesko’s crucial one-on-one miss
- The linesman was seen running onto the pitch as play continued into extra time
- Fans have ridiculed the referee after footage showed him intruding on the game
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Football fans have ridiculed the linesman during Portugal’s Euro 2024 win over Slovenia on Monday after footage emerged showing him running across the pitch while carrying out his duties.
An eventful evening at the Frankfurt Arena saw Portugal eventually progress to the quarter-finals of the tournament via penalties.
Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears after missing a penalty deep into extra time that could have eliminated Portugal from the European Championship, but he made amends in the shootout.
The 39-year-old was the centre of attention after the match as his grief turned to triumph, but now observant fans have also noticed a bizarre incident involving the linesman entering the pitch.
Officials running along the sidelines must remain off the field of play at all times unless a situation arises that requires them to enter the field of play to speak to the referee.
Football fans ridiculed the linesman during Portugal’s Euro 2024 win over Slovenia on Monday after he was seen running onto the pitch
The linesman entered the field during extra time at the Frankfurt Arena
However, the eager linesman seemed to have lost his bearings as he fired over the wing, while Benjamin Sesko missed a chance to win the match for Slovenia with minutes left in extra time.
As Sesko dealt with Pepe’s hard touch, the linesman sprinted down the sideline to keep level with the striker who was on target.
He eventually ended up on the field as play continued and was on the wrong side of the dead ball line when Diogo Carlos made a fantastic save to keep Sesko off the ball.
The linesman ran down the wing as Slovenian Benjamin Sesko (left) broke through on goal but was cleared off the line
Fans have since reacted hilariously to the linesman’s bizarre intervention, with one social media post saying: ‘The linesman literally walks onto the pitch, wtf.’
Another post shared a fictitious heatmap of the referee’s right wing, with the caption: ‘Heatmap of the linesman in the second half.’
Others joined in on the joke when Paddy Power posted the following message on X: ‘The linesman thinks he’s playing.’
âDoes anyone else keep seeing the linesman running onto the field?â said another bystander.