Diego Simeone left everyone speechless during his press conference following Atletico Madrid’s controversial Champions League exit, challenging reporters about Julian Alvarez’s disallowed penalty.
On Wednesday night, Atletico’s Champions League aspirations came crashing down in heartbreaking fashion as they suffered an agonizing penalty shootout defeat to their local rivals Real Madrid. Conor Gallagher’s goal in the opening minute was enough to level the aggregate score and ultimately force the match into a penalty shootout.
The shootout featured a highly controversial moment when Julian Alvarez had his penalty disallowed after VAR intervention. Officials ruled that Alvarez had made double contact with the ball during his kick, violating the rules of the game. This crucial decision played a significant role in Real Madrid’s eventual 4-2 shootout victory, with Antonio Rudiger converting the decisive penalty.
Since the match, numerous camera angles of the incident have circulated on social media platforms, with some footage appearing to show only the slightest contact from Alvarez’s standing foot with the ball – leading many to question whether the correct decision was made.
Simeone’s Unforgettable Press Conference Response
When asked to comment on the controversial penalty incident during his post-match press conference, Simeone responded in characteristic fashion by turning the tables on the journalists present. In a moment that left the entire room silent, he challenged: “If anyone from here has seen Julian touch the ball twice, raise your hand. Come on… no? No one?”
The Atletico manager went on to elaborate: “I just saw the image of the penalty. The referee said that when Julián stepped and kicked, he touched the ball with his foot, but the ball didn’t move. That’s something to discuss about whether it was a goal or not, but I’m proud of my players.”
Expressing further doubt about the decision, Simeone added: “When he plants his foot and kicks, the ball doesn’t move even a little bit. But if VAR called it, I’ve never seen a penalty called by VAR, but it’s still valid, and they’ll have seen that he touched it. I want to believe they’ll have seen that he touched it.”
What The Controversy Means For Both Madrid Clubs
The contentious decision has several implications for both clubs:
- Real Madrid advances to the next round of the Champions League, keeping alive their hopes for another European trophy
- Atletico must now focus entirely on domestic competitions
- The debate over VAR implementation in crucial moments continues to grow
- Questions about penalty shootout protocols may arise from this incident
The rivalry between the Madrid clubs has added another chapter to its storied history, with this controversial moment likely to be discussed for years to come. Football analysts continue to debate whether the double-touch was significant enough to warrant disallowing such a crucial penalty.
Atletico Madrid will need to quickly recover from this disappointment as they return to La Liga action this weekend. They face Barcelona at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Sunday night in a match that could prove vital for their domestic campaign.
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