UEFA to Discuss Potential Rule Change After Álvarez’s Disallowed Penalty in Champions League Drama
In a dramatic turn of events that has left the football world buzzing, UEFA has announced that they will “enter discussions with FIFA and IFAB” regarding a possible change to the rule that led to Julián Álvarez‘s penalty being disallowed during Atlético Madrid‘s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid on Wednesday.
The match was a nail-biter, with Real Madrid advancing to the quarterfinals after a tense 4-2 penalty shootout victory following extra time at the Metropolitano. The tie had ended 2-2 on aggregate, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown. Real Madrid will now face Arsenal in the next round.
The controversy erupted during the shootout when Álvarez’s spot kick was ruled out by VAR. The decision was made after it was determined that the Atlético forward had inadvertently kicked the ball twice—once with each foot—as he slipped, sending the ball past Real Madrid’s goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois.
This decision sparked a wave of protests from Atlético, with their coach, Diego Simeone, vocally challenging the ruling. He insisted that “the ball doesn’t move” and engaged in a heated exchange with journalists during his post-match news conference. Courtois, on the other hand, was quick to respond, accusing Atlético of “crying.”
In an effort to clarify the situation, UEFA released frame-by-frame footage on Thursday. The footage appeared to show “minimal” contact with the ball by Álvarez’s standing leg, which was enough to disallow the goal under the current rules.
UEFA’s statement read: “Atlético de Madrid enquired with UEFA over the incident, which led to the disallowance of the kick from the penalty mark taken by Julián Alvarez at the end of yesterday’s UEFA Champions League match against Real Madrid.”
They continued, “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.”
UEFA has expressed their intention to “enter discussions with FIFA and IFAB to determine whether the rule should be reviewed in cases where a double touch is clearly unintentional.”
For those unfamiliar, IFAB is the International Football Association Board, the body responsible for the laws of the game and any proposed changes. This incident has certainly put the spotlight on the rules governing penalty kicks and whether they need to be updated to reflect the realities of the game.
The Álvarez incident led to confusion inside the stadium on Wednesday, with many fans initially unaware that the spot kick had been disallowed. The post-match protests by Atlético, led by Simeone, only added to the drama.
Atlético Madrid had dominated Wednesday’s encounter for long spells, having won 1-0 on the night thanks to Conor Gallagher‘s goal after just 27 seconds. However, their struggles against local rivals Real Madrid in the Champions League continue. The club has never come out on top against Real in this competition, having lost the 2014 and 2016 finals and being eliminated in the 2017 semifinals.
- UEFA to discuss rule change with FIFA and IFAB
- Álvarez’s penalty disallowed due to double touch
- Real Madrid advances to face Arsenal in quarterfinals
- Atlético’s ongoing Champions League struggles against Real
As the football world waits to see if any changes will be made to the rules, one thing is certain: this incident will be talked about for a long time, and it may just lead to a significant shift in how penalties are judged in the future.
Originally Written by: Alex Kirkland,Rodrigo Faez
