Reason Julian Alvarez’s Penalty Was Chalked Off in Champions League Shootout

• Real Madrid secured a spot in the Champions League quarter-finals against Arsenal after edging past Atletico Madrid in a dramatic penalty shootout
• Conor Gallagher made history by scoring the fastest-ever goal by an Englishman in the competition, putting Atletico ahead just 27 seconds into the Madrid derb
• However, the shootout sparked controversy when VAR ruled out Julián Álvarez’s penalty for a double touch

PAY ATTENTION: NOW You can COMMENT on our articles on the YEN website! Learn how to get started.

Julian Alvarez's penalty was controversially disallowed in Atletico Madrid's Champions League shootout loss to Real Madrid—but why, and was it even the right call?

Alvarez was Atletico’s second penalty taker after their 1-0 second-leg victory leveled the tie at 2-2 on aggregate.

The Argentine striker slipped while taking his shot but still managed to power the ball past Thibaut Courtois.

However, after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was ruled out as replays showed Alvarez had made contact with the ball using both feet, leading to the penalty being disqualified.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app!

What does the law say?

In IFAB's 2024/25 Laws of the Game, in describing the procedure of a penalty shoot-out it is stated:

"[A penalty] kick is completed when the ball stops moving, goes out of play or the referee stops play for any offence; the kicker may not play the ball a second time."

This rule proved decisive in the shootout, as Real Madrid advanced 4-2 on penalties, with both Marcos Llorente and Lucas Vázquez also missing for their respective sides.

As Federico Valverde stood waiting for his turn, referee Szymon Marciniak—who officiated Manchester City's 2023 Champions League final win over Inter—gestured to his own feet and crossed his arms, signaling Alvarez's goal had been ruled out.

Many Atletico fans inside the Wanda Metropolitano were initially unaware of the decision, while viewers worldwide questioned whether the call was justified.

Simeone on controversial Alvarez penalty decision

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone refrained from directly criticising referee Szymon Marciniak and his officiating team but questioned whether there was clear evidence that Álvarez had made contact with the ball twice.

Several TV replays suggested that his standing leg might not have touched the ball at all.

"I just saw the image of the penalty," Simeone said in his post-match press conference.

"The referee claimed that when Julián stepped and kicked, he made contact twice, but the ball didn’t move. That’s something to discuss in determining whether it was a goal or not, but I’m proud of my players. When he plants his foot and strikes, the ball doesn’t even shift slightly. But if VAR called it, I have to believe they saw something definitive."

Turning to the journalists in the room, Simeone asked:

"What did you see? Raise your hand if you think Julian touched it twice. I didn’t speak to him."

Thibaut Courtois responds to Simeone's comments

At first, there was no visible indication that Marciniak had been alerted to a potential offense by VAR.

However, after the match, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois revealed that he had pointed out the possible double contact to the referee, which may have prompted the review.

"I felt that he touched the ball twice, and I told the referee," Courtois admitted. "It’s not easy to spot, but it was a bit of bad luck for them."

Barcelona fans' reaction to Real Madrid's UCL qualification

YEN.com.gh earlier reported the reaction of a popular X channel, dedicated to FC Barcelona news and updates, to Real Madrid's UEFA Champions League qualification against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

New feature: Сheck out news that is picked for YOU ➡️ click on “Recommended for you” and enjoy!

Source: YEN.com.gh