UEFA has released a statement to explain why Arsenal had a late penalty overturned in their Champions League semi-final first leg at Atletico Madrid.
Substitute Eberechi Eze initially earned a spot-kick after going down under a challenge from Atletico defender David Hancko after 78 minutes.
Despite contact being made with Eze’s foot, the VAR intervened to recommend referee Danny Makkelie review the incident at his on-screen monitor.
After watching multiple replays, Makkelie decided to rule out the penalty-kick, a decision Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta slammed as “completely unacceptable”, and the game finished 1-1 ahead of the second leg next Tuesday.
David Hancko challenges Eberechi Eze – but the initial penalty call was overturned
In a brief statement, UEFA explained the decision: “Atleti player, No 17, did not commit a foul on the opponent.”
European football’s governing body declined to provide any further clarification about the decision-making process for the penalty overturn when approached by Sky Sports News.
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The Athletic’s David Ornstein was puzzled as to why Arsenal controversially had a second penalty overturned by VAR in their Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid
UEFA said upon introduction of the technology that “the VAR team will check all match-changing situations but only intervene for clear and obvious mistakes”.
Dermot: Not enough to overturn penalty
Former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher on Sky Sports News:
“If you look at one of the angles, it looks like Eze is clearly fouled; another angle is inconclusive. Rather than look at inconclusive angles, look at conclusive ones. The referee thinks it is a penalty on the field. The VAR, I think, looks at it too much.
“People asked me if it is enough to give a penalty. Once the referee gives the penalty, the question has to be ‘is it enough to turn over?’.
“One angle it looks like he catches him on the top of the foot. The defender definitely doesn’t get the ball. That is all in Eze’s favour.
“Is it enough to turn over? I think not. I don’t think it is the most obvious penalty in the world, but once it is given, it is given.
“Once it is given, it has to be clear and obvious. There is not enough to overturn it.”
Arteta fumes over penalty decision
Arteta was fuming with the decision and said it left him feeling “very upset” when speaking to TNT Sports immediately after the game.
“After going back into the dressing room, speaking to the boys and watching the penalty incident, it’s extremely disappointing and annoying because it was against the rules and it changes the course of the tie,” he said.
“The whole sequence. There is clear contact. You make the decision, you cannot overturn that decision when you have to look at it 13 times. It’s completely unacceptable at this level.
“It’s the wrong decision.”
Asked in his post-match press conference if Arsenal would protest the decision to UEFA, Arteta said: “I leave that to the club to decide what’s the best thing to do. Now they’re not going to give us a penalty. That’s it. That’s gone.”
What about White’s handball for Atleti penalty?
Ben White of Arsenal is adjudged to have handled against Atletico Madrid
This was a match defined by three penalties and the first Champions League knockout game since 2001 in which 100 per cent of the goals, when there were more than one, came from penalties.
Arsenal led at half-time through a spot-kick won and scored by Viktor Gyokeres, when Hancko was again involved, bundling over the striker from behind.
But an improved Atletico levelled after the break through Julian Alvarez when VAR spotted a handball by Ben White from Marcos Llorente’s shot and sent referee Makkelie to the monitor. Despite the ball deflecting off White’s knee against his hand, a penalty was awarded.
On that decision, Arteta conceded the interpretation of handball in the Champions League is different from the Premier League.
“They have been consistent with that,” he said. “If you are going to give a penalty for this kind of thing, you have to accept it.”
The handball call against White followed an even more controversial decision to punish Alphonso Davies in Paris Saint-Germain’s win over Bayern Munich in the other semi-final.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher posted on X to say UEFA must address the definition of handball in the Champions League.
“The Champions League is the best football by a mile, but these penalty decisions for handball really are a stain on the competition. Last [night’s] was worse but that should not be a penalty against White,” he said.
