Football’s governing bodies, Uefa, are set to reassess the rules surrounding penalty kicks following the uproar sparked by Atletico Madrid’s elimination from the Champions League.
The Spanish club crashed out in the last 16 against city rivals Real Madrid, with manager Diego Simeone and fans expressing outrage over a contentious VAR decision.
The controversy stemmed from Julian Alvarez’s penalty, which was initially awarded as a goal but later disallowed after video review.
VAR determined that Alvarez had inadvertently struck the ball twice, his left foot slipping before making contact with his right, leading to the goal being erased and putting Real Madrid in a position to seal victory in the shootout.
Simeone was visibly frustrated and questioned whether the double touch had actually occurred. Addressing reporters after the match, he challenged them to confirm if they had seen it themselves.
“There you go, no one has raised their hands,” he remarked. “Next question.”
Despite the disappointment, the Atletico boss acknowledged the team’s strong performance and the support they received from the fans.
“There is no doubt the fans are hurt because of the elimination, but they know that their team left everything on the field and they deserved the applause that they received. Unfortunately, we couldn’t advance, but I leave in peace.
“Yes, we haven’t been able to beat Real Madrid in the Champions League, but they have always suffered against us. I’m sure that, when they’ll be talking to each other by themselves, they’ll be saying, ‘These guys always made it tough for us.’”
Uefa defended the ruling, explaining that while Alvarez’s double contact was accidental, the current laws left VAR with no option but to disallow the goal.
A statement from Uefa clarified the decision:
“Atletico de Madrid enquired with Uefa over the incident, which led to the disallowance of the kick from the penalty mark taken by Julian Alvarez at the end of yesterday’s Uefa Champions League match against Real Madrid.
“Although minimal, the player made contact with the ball using his standing foot before kicking it, as shown in the attached video clip. Under the current rule (Laws of the Game, Law 14.1), the VAR had to call the referee signalling that the goal should be disallowed.”
In light of the controversy, Uefa confirmed that it would engage with Fifa and the International Football Association Board (Ifab) to discuss whether the rule should be reassessed for situations where a double touch is clearly unintentional.
