Julian Alvarez’s spot kick was controversially dominated out in Atletico Madrid’s shoot-out defeat to Actual Madrid within the Champions League – however why was it disallowed, and did the ahead even break the foundations in any respect?
Alvarez was second on Atletico’s record of penalty takers of their Champions League last-16 shoot-out, after that they had overwhelmed city-rivals Actual 1-0 within the second leg to sq. the tie 2-2 on mixture.
The Argentine stepped up from 12 yards and, regardless of slipping, smashed his penalty simply beneath the crossbar previous a helpless Thibault Courtois. Greater than a minute later the kick was disallowed following a VAR examine which dominated that he had touched the ball with each ft as he fell.
In IFAB’s 2024/25 Legal guidelines of the Sport, in describing the process of a penalty shoot-out it’s said: “[A penalty] kick is completed when the ball stops moving, goes out of play or the referee stops play for any offence; the kicker may not play the ball a second time.”
In the long run, that rule would show essential within the shoot-out as Actual progressed 4-2 on spot kicks, with Marcos Llorente and Lucas Vazquez each additionally lacking penalties for both aspect.
On the time Alvarez’s effort was disallowed, Actual’s subsequent taker Federico Valverde had been ready for his personal try for a while when referee Szymon Marciniak, who was the person within the center for Man Metropolis’s Champions League ultimate win over Inter in 2023, pointed to each of his personal ft and crossed his arms to sign that the earlier purpose had been disallowed.
Massive sections of the help contained in the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium appeared unaware that Alvarez’s effort had been chalked off, whereas lots of the wider viewing public questioned whether or not it ought to have been disallowed in any respect.
Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone refused to criticised Marciniak and his crew of officers however did query whether or not there was conclusive proof Alvarez had touched the ball twice – as various TV angles appeared to indicate his standing leg could not have made contact with it in any respect.
Julian Alvarez slipped whereas taking his kick
“I just saw the image of the penalty,” he advised his post-match press convention. “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.
“When he vegetation his foot and kicks, the ball would not transfer even slightly bit. But when VAR referred to as it, I’ve by no means seen a penalty referred to as by VAR, nevertheless it’s nonetheless legitimate, and so they’ll have seen that he touched it. I wish to imagine they’re going to have seen that he touched it.”
Addressing the room of journalists directly, he then added: “What did you see? Increase your hand when you assume Julian knocked twice. I did not communicate to him.”
There was no obvious sign at first that Marciniak had been told by his VAR about an ongoing check, and after the game Real goalkeeper Courtois admitted he had pointed out to the referee that he felt Alvarez had committed the offence – which may have been what led to the check.
“I felt that he touched the ball twice and I advised the referee,” he said. “It isn’t simple to see that. It was a little bit of dangerous luck for them there.”
