Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has queried the controversial decision to overrule Julian Alvarez’s penalty kick after the Video Assistant Referee deemed him to have kicked the ball twice in the UCL Round of 16 loss to Real Madrid.
The Rojiblancos took an early lead in the 1st minute through Connor Callagher to draw level on the tie. Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior missed the opportunity to put Los Blancos ahead in the second half, when he blazed over from the penalty spot.
After 120 minutes of action, the match went into penalty shootout and Alvarez’s penalty was ruled out after VAR adjudged the former Manchester City forward to have touched the ball with both feet, as he slipped when taking the kick.
“I’ve just seen the images, the referee says Julián touches the ball with his supporting leg, but the ball doesn’t move,” Simeone said in his post-match news conference.
“That’s debatable, whether it was a goal or not. But I’m proud of my players, I’m honestly happy, because we competed in an exemplary way.
When Julián kicks [the penalty], the ball doesn’t even move a bit. I imagine that they called the VAR and saw that he touched it. I want to believe that they’ll have seen that he touched it”, he added.
Defending champions Real Madrid will now face English Premier League side Arsenal in the quarterfinals, as they look to defend their crown at the end of the season.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
