Julián Álvarez Breaks Silence on Champions League Penalty Controversy

Julián Álvarez's spoken out about the controversial penalty decision that contributed to Atlético Madrid’s elimination from the Champions League round of 16 against Real Madrid.

The Controversial Moment

During the penalty shootout, Álvarez converted his attempt but referee Szymon Marciniak disallowed the goal after VAR review ruling that the Argentine had made double touch before scoring. UEFA later confirmed that sensors in the ball detected the additional contact, validating the decision.

However Álvarez remains unconvinced:

“I’ve watched it thousand times and I don’t feel like I touched it twice,” he told ESPN. “If there was second touch, it was minimal and barely noticeable”.

Call for Rule Clarity

The Atlético striker urged football authorities to reconsider the rule:

“I think the rule needs to be clearer because I wasn’t trying to gain unfair advantage. If goalkeeper moves off the line, the penalty's retaken. This wasn’t attempt to exploit the rules, so it’s unfortunate how things unfolded.”

Atlético Madrid Seeks Further Review

Atlético Madrid's reportedly requested UEFA to release the VAR footage and audio recordings used to make the decision, hoping to bring transparency to the incident. The club’s supporters have also petitioned for review of how such calls are handled in the future.

Khaled Hegazy |

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Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.