UEFA has made a surprise decision in the wake of the VAR controversy surrounding Julian Alvarez’s penalty against Real Madrid.
Headlines were made on Wednesday night after the second leg of Atletico Madrid’s Champions League tie against Real went all the way to penalties.
During the shootout, Atletico star Alvarez saw his penalty ruled out after VAR determined that the 25-year-old touched the ball twice, meaning his kick was against the laws of football and ended up going down as a miss.
Eventually, Real advanced after winning the shootout 4-2, with defender Antonio Rudiger scoring the winning spot kick for the defending European champions.
Less than 24 hours after the match, European football’s governing body – UEFA – has made a major decision regarding penalty regulations.
UEFA Opens Discussions on Double-Touch Penalty Rule
As reported by transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, UEFA is set to open discussions with world football’s governing body FIFA and IFAB (The International Football Association Board) over potentially modifying the rule that affected Alvarez’s spot kick.
These talks will specifically address situations where a double-touch on penalties occurs unintentionally, with suggestions that allowing a retake might be more appropriate than counting it as a miss.
In their official statement, UEFA explained: “Atletico de Madrid enquired with UEFA over the incident, which led to the disallowance of the kick from the penalty mark taken by Julian 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.”
Expert and Coach Reactions to the Controversial Decision
The incident has sparked debate across the football world about VAR’s role in such moments. Former referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz shared his perspective on Spanish television:
- “If I were to referee such a momentous play again, I wouldn’t be comfortable if they told me… I’d want to go see it, and then I’d decide.”
- “Well, it’s my responsibility. I have to take it on my shoulders and then decide based on what I see fit. That’s how I understand refereeing.”
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone maintained his pride in his team while questioning the decision:
“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.”
This potential rule change could have significant implications for future Champions League matches and penalty shootouts across European competitions. The football community now awaits the outcome of UEFA’s discussions with FIFA and IFAB on this contentious issue.
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