Frutos seethes over missed penalty in estrasburg thriller

Jorge de Frutos was seething after Spain's 1-1 draw with Estrasburg, convinced he was denied a penalty that would have changed the complexion of the match.

Var oversight sparks fury

The midfielder accused Estrasburg goalkeeper Penders of deliberately kicking him in the ankle, an incident that went unnoticed by the on-field official and VAR review.

'He stood right in front of me and deliberately kicked my ankle,' Frutos fumed. 'I turned around and saw him going for my ankle with his foot. There's no excuse for VAR not seeing that.'

Frutos opted not to confront the referee on the pitch, believing his protest would fall on deaf ears. The Spain international acknowledged the foul was called in his favor but couldn't fathom why the penalty wasn't awarded.

'I'm not asking the referee anything, he didn't say anything to me,' Frutos explained. 'For me, it's a clear penalty.'

Despite the controversy, Frutos was pleased with the result, which leaves Spain on the brink of qualification ahead of the decisive final match against a formidable Estrasburg side.