Dzeko fumes at officials after play-off defeat

Edin Dzeko was left fuming with the officials following Bosnia-Herzegovina’s defeat to Republic of Ireland in the Euro 2016 play-offs.

Martin O’Neill’s side were awarded a penalty for a soft handball after Daryl Murphy’s cross brushed the hand of defender Ervin Zukanovic, allowing Jon Walters to put Ireland ahead in Monday’s second leg.

The Stoke City striker added a second to secure a 3-1 aggregate victory and send Ireland to the finals in France next year, leaving Roma striker Dzeko to rue a number of decisions he felt went against his side.

“We can’t win a game where we don’t play. In the end we did well, although the referee was 70-30 in favour of the Irish. I would never in my life give the penalty they gave against us,” he said.

“There’s nobody to blame, we’re all in this together.”

Midfielder Haris Medunjanin was equally bemused by the penalty decision but believes Bosnia-Herzegovina were punished for a failure to secure a victory in the first leg.

“We had to be more efficient at home because we knew it would be difficult here,” he said. “The Irish played aggressively, it was difficult. The penalty didn’t exist, but there you go.

“We have to move on. We had a good chance, but we haven’t achieved our goal.”