Atlético Madrid’s Champions League hopes were dealt a blow after a penalty kick was disallowed in their 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid on Wednesday. The penalty, taken by forward Julián Álvarez, was rejected after a VAR check determined that he had touched the ball twice with each foot.
However, footage appearing to show Álvarez acknowledging the possibility of making contact suggests that the decision may have been premature. A source close to the Atlético Madrid dressing room told ESPN that Álvarez did not believe he had touched the ball twice and his shot ended up where he intended it to.
Atlético coach Diego Simeone questioned the decision, saying “raise your hands if you’ve seen the ball move” during a post-match news conference. The team has since petitioned UEFA over the call, with the governing body stating that minimal contact was made by Álvarez using his standing foot before kicking the ball.
UEFA will enter discussions with FIFA and IFAB to review the rule in cases where a double touch is clearly unintentional. Real Madrid forward Rodrygo claimed that his teammates had “put pressure on the referee” to disallow the penalty, saying it looked like Álvarez had touched the ball twice before kicking it.
The incident has sparked debate among football fans and officials, with many questioning the VAR system’s ability to accurately determine whether a player has made contact with the ball.
Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/44233131/atletico-madrid-julian-alvarez-incredulous-penalty-source