UEFA has addressed the controversy surrounding Julián Álvarez’s disallowed penalty during Atlético Madrid’s Champions League clash against Real Madrid, confirming that the striker unintentionally made a double touch before converting his spot kick.
Following the incident, UEFA announced plans to review the rule on double-touch penalties, acknowledging the widespread debate it sparked.
In an official statement on Thursday, UEFA disclosed that Atlético Madrid had formally sought clarification on the decision, which significantly influenced their elimination from the tournament.
“Atlético de Madrid enquired with UEFA over the incident, which led to the disallowance of the kick from the penalty mark taken by Julián Álvarez at the end of yesterday’s UEFA Champions League match against Real Madrid,” the statement read.
UEFA explained that video analysis confirmed Álvarez inadvertently touched the ball with his standing foot before striking it, violating Law 14.1 of the Laws of the Game.
“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 clarified.
The decision triggered significant controversy among fans, analysts, and Atlético Madrid’s head coach, Diego Simeone, as the club bowed out of the competition.
UEFA further confirmed its intention to engage in discussions with FIFA and the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to assess whether adjustments should be made to the rule in cases where a double touch is clearly unintentional.
“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,” the statement concluded.
