UEFA has officially addressed the controversy surrounding Julian Alvarez’s disallowed penalty in the Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid UEFA Champions League Round of 16 fixture.
The governing body confirmed their stance in an official statement released on Thursday, March 13, 2025, clarifying the decision made by VAR and outlining potential future discussions regarding the rule.
“Atlético de Madrid enquired with UEFA over the incident, which led to the disallowance of the kick from the penalty mark taken by Julián Alvarez at the end of yesterday’s UEFA Champions League match against Real Madrid. Although minimal, the player made contact with the ball using his standing foot before kicking it, as shown in the attached video clip. Under the current rule (Laws 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 to determine whether the rule should be reviewed in cases where a double touch is clearly unintentional.”
Atletico Madrid and their manager, Diego Simeone, were visibly frustrated with the decision. Speaking in his post-match press conference, the Argentine coach did not hold back, questioning the call and VAR’s intervention:
“The referee said when Julian got to the penalty spot, he touched the ball with his standing foot, but the ball did not move,” Simeone argued.
“I’ve never seen a penalty where they’ve called the VAR, but well, they would have seen that he touched it. I want to believe they saw he touched it. 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.”
While UEFA has backed the VAR decision, the statement confirms that discussions will be held with FIFA and IFAB regarding potential adjustments to the rule in cases of unintentional double touches. This development could impact future decisions in similar penalty situations.
For now, Atletico Madrid remains aggrieved, while Real Madrid progresses with the controversial call playing a significant role in the match’s outcome.