NYON: UEFA said the correct decision was made to disallow Julian Alvarez’s penalty in Atletico Madrid’s Champions League loss to city rivals Real Madrid on Wednesday but European football’s governing body would enter discussions to review the rule.

A livid Atletico enquired with UEFA after Alvarez had his shootout penalty ruled out by the referee in their last-16 tie that saw Real reach the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite club competition.

Argentine forward Alvarez slipped and the VAR spotted that his left foot touched the ball slightly before he kicked it with his right. With only one touch permitted, the penalty, which would have levelled the shootout at 2-2, was chalked off.

“Although minimal, the player made contact with the ball using his standing foot before kicking it,” UEFA said in a statement on Thursday. “Under the current law [Rules of the Game, Law 14.1], the VAR had to call the referee signalling that the goal should be disallowed.

“UEFA will enter discussions with FIFA and IFAB (International Football Association Board) to determine whether the rule should be reviewed in cases where a double touch is clearly unintentional.”

Atletico did not immediately respond to a request for comment on UEFA’s statement, though coach Diego Simeone was livid on Wednesday with Polish referee Szymon Marciniak’s decision.

“I’ve never seen the VAR called to review a penalty in a shootout ... Never!” the Argentine said at the post-game press conference.

“Did you see him touching the ball twice? Please whoever was present in the stadium and saw him touching the ball twice, the ball moving, please come forward and raise your hand!

“I don’t see anybody with their hand raised so that’s all I have to say ... next question.”

Atletico fans were similarly outraged.

“It’s so clear that they want Madrid to go through,” one supporter posted on social media platform X.

“Football will never see anything like this again,” wrote another. “A historic robbery has taken place at the Metropolitano with the whole world watching.”

Some suggested Alvarez should have been given a chance to retake the penalty.

“Cancelling a penalty because there might have been a double touch is abhorrent,” one supporter wrote on X. “There’s no other way to put it: it’s anti-football.”

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2025