The law that saw Julian Alvarez’s penalty controversially ruled out against Real Madrid could be reviewed with UEFA releasing a new video of the spot kick.
The footage of the penalty, posted on the governing body’s website, shows the ball move slightly after being touched by the Atletico Madrid forward’s standing left foot before he strikes it with his right.
Alvarez thought he had scored from the spot during the penalty shootout in his side’s Champions League last-16 second-leg defeat before a video assistant referee (VAR) intervention saw it chalked off.
Real Madrid went on to advance through to the quarter-finals.
On Thursday, UEFA said Atletico had contacted them about the decision and that they will discuss the law with FIFA, the world governing body, and the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which determines the laws of the game.
In a statement, UEFA said: “Atletico 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.”
Atletico head coach Diego Simeone was left angered by the decision and claimed there was insufficient evidence for VAR to overturn the on-field referee’s initial call.
“The referee said when Julian got to the penalty spot he touched the ball with his standing foot, but the ball did not move,” he told reporters after the game.
“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.”
The IFAB laws of the game prohibit the player taking the penalty kick from playing the ball twice before it has touched another player, the ball stops moving or goes out of play.
Article 14.1 reads: “The kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player. The penalty kick is completed when the ball stops moving, goes out of play or the referee stops play for any offence.”
The law was designed to stop players from dribbling towards goal from a penalty kick and was applied in January 2023 when then-Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic slipped as he went to strike the penalty against Newcastle United and kicked it into his standing leg.
Mitrovic’s penalty goal was disallowed and a free-kick was awarded to Newcastle.
UEFA introduced in-ball technology for Euro 2024 last summer to help improve the accuracy and speed of decision making.
European football’s governing body have confirmed to The Athletic that no in-ball technology was used to assist in overturning the decision to award Alvarez’s penalty with the new system only in place for the men’s and women’s European Championships but not the Champions League.
The decision was made solely using cameras in the stadium. The semi-automated offside system in place also utilises cameras only.
Real Madrid will now play Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with the fixtures to be played over April 8 and April 16.
(Top photo: Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
