The "secret killer" of the Ukrainian national football team, who did not allow us to participate in the 2022 and Euro 2024 World Cups, has been named

The same referee was responsible for the video assistance to referees (VAR) system in the last two decisive matches of the Ukrainian national football team. Spaniard Juan Martinez Munuera was behind the monitors in the games between Ukraine and Wales in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and Ukraine and Italy in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.

The 41-year-old native of Valencia did not recommend that the head referees of those matches review the moment with potential fouls against Yarmolenko and Mudryk.

Munuera started his career in 2006 in the second division of the Spanish championship. In 2013, he officiated his first match in the Primera Division. In 2015, he was included in the FIFA list of referees.

After this information went viral, users began to create photo jokes, calling Munuera a "murderer" of the Ukrainian national team.

As OBOZ.UA reported, on June 5, 2022, the Ukrainian national team lost to Wales and failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. One of the key episodes was an unassigned penalty for a foul on the captain of the Yellow and Blues, Yarmolenko, in the 40th minute of the match.

Afterward, Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Laos admitted that he did not review the moment when the captain of the Ukrainian national team fell because Munyer did not call him.

A similar episode occurred in the November 20, 2023 match against Italy. In the third compensated minute of the second half, head referee Jesus Gil Manzano did not award an 11-meter free kick for Chelsea midfielder Mykhailo Mudryk's fall in the opponent's penalty area.

The Ukraine-Italy match ended in a zero-all draw, which put the Italians in the final tournament, while leaving us to go through the playoffs.

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