A dive it certainly was, but not isolated, I saw four or five attempts of the same kind (one other also after the penalty).
I understand the referee might have been fooled by that, but the replay at the VAR very clearly shows the real dynamics of the action. The VAR mistake is inexcusable and is telling a lot about UEFA real intentions and the concept of fair play they have.
I "saw" Sterling fall in the penalty area before he entered it. It was absolutely clear what his intentions were, he just wanted to fall on the legs of the Dane defender (btw, Sterling the best on the field, the guy is really extraordinary. Second in my view is Saka, better than Grealish from what I saw).
Also, there were two balls in the field a little distance away during the same action, although this might have been a "genuine" mistake by the referee.
This match creates serious worries about the fairness of the final, either because UEFA likes to give a kick to the country hosting the event, or because the referee and VAR are influenced by the "climate" which is generated in the stadium. I am inclined to think the first is much more likely, UEFA wants to help the hosting country to recover the investment and they want to give an incentive to future organizers.
A word should be spent on the concept of fairness, here. I understand that where there is a referee some dirty trick is somehow morally quasi-admissible: your adversary might do the same, the referee will make mistakes in both senses, one must help destiny, nobody is perfectly honest etc. But the VAR should have taken all this stuff out of the equation. If the VAR makes such a "mistake", when
all the world sees that it is no penalty, some serious questions must be raised on the honesty of the UEFA.
I take this is the bad karma of Denmark for the combined 2-2 with Sweden in 2004.
The two balls:
https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/20...i-in-campo-prima-del-rigore-decisivo/6254809/
There is no comment by any site or newspaper on the match here in Italy that is saying that the penalty was appropriate. The exact same images shown to the VAR were shown in TV and nobody could explain how could that be a penalty for the VAR.
I hope Mancini sets clear to the team that England must not enter the penalty area "at all costs" ;-)
I hope we will not see a repeat of 1966 world cup final! Referee's mistakes are coming home!