Will Atlético challenge the match against Madrid for the penalty annulled to Julián Álvarez?

The unusual VAR intervention annulling Julián Álvarez's goal in the penalty shootout tilted the round of 16 tie of the Champions League between Atlético and Real Madrid. The annulled penalty to Julián Álvarez has become the most controversial and discussed topic among fans on major social media platforms, as the Argentine forward had scored a goal that could have changed the final result of the penalty shootout.

However, the referee adhered to the VAR's version. What was the reason? The possible two touches by the Argentine on his penalty. Atlético has enough arguments to claim what happened. There is not a single image that proves Julián Álvarez touched the ball twice. At least, they haven't shown any. And we cannot forget what happened in the first leg played at the Bernabéu. Real Madrid won 2-1 thanks to Brahim's goal with Vinicius in a clear offside, clearly obstructing the view of the Atlético goalkeeper.

The most controversial annulled goal in recent Champions history

The intervention from the VAR, setting a dangerous precedent, and the incomprehensible decision of the referee to annul the penalty without going to review the play with the cameras gives rise to all kinds of theories and raises suspicions. Only thirty seconds to decide such an important issue for the future of a team? They showed a single replay of the penalty, and in the only decent shot, nothing was visible. How can you touch a ball and it not move?

The reality is that there is no clear and conclusive image that can justify the referee's and VAR's decision to annul Julián Álvarez's penalty. A play that defines a match, a season, a tie, must have an unequivocal image. It cannot be defined by an imperceptible detail.

This is how Julián Álvarez's annulled penalty was

The Argentine was the second player from the red-and-white team to shoot from the penalty spot. At the moment of shooting, the forward slipped, but his shot managed to sneak into Courtois's goal. However, the Real Madrid goalkeeper alerted the referee, Szymon Marciniak, about a possible irregular situation, and the Polish referee decided to stop the penalty shootout.

The Real Madrid goalkeeper warned the referee that, while slipping, Julián Álvarez had touched the ball with both feet just at the moment of the shot. The VAR also intervened and, after a quick review without offering any image or replay where the infraction could be clearly appreciated, decided to annul the goal. According to the regulations, there cannot be a "double touch" by a player when striking the ball from the penalty spot, but this alleged "double touch" is not clearly seen in any of the replays offered by the media.

Simeone explodes against the referee's decision, dismantles the 'official version' and puts journalists in 'check'

Undoubtedly, another factor that has sparked criticism is that, even if Julián Álvarez did touch the ball twice while slipping, it is unheard of and surprising that the VAR room intervenes in a penalty shootout to annul a goal and directly influence a Champions League tie without providing conclusive and indisputable evidence.

As expected, the referee's decision was questioned by the coach of Atlético de Madrid. In the press conference after the match, 'Cholo' Simeone stated that "the referee says that when Julián steps and kicks, he touches the ball with the support of his foot, but the ball does not move. That serves to discuss whether it was a goal or not". "I have never seen a penalty that the VAR calls" "When he supports his foot and kicks, the ball does not move even a little. But if the VAR called it, I have never seen a penalty that the VAR calls, but okay, they must have seen that he touched it. I want to believe they saw that he touched it," added the coach.

And to demonstrate that the VAR interference and the referee's decision had been absolutely irregular, Simeone threw a challenge to the journalists present at the press conference. What happened next speaks for itself; not a single one of them dared to raise their hand. "I am going to ask you a question: did you see the penalty, did you see it? What did you see? Did he touch it or not?"

"Did any of those present here see that Julián touched the ball twice? Raise your hand. Who raises their hand? No one raises it"

So emphatic was Simeone's conclusion, exposing the referee's and VAR's decisions, and dismantling the 'official' version of what happened.

What does the rule say about the annulled penalty to Julián Álvarez against Real Madrid?

The penalty shootout that allowed Real Madrid's qualification to the quarter-finals of the Champions League was marked by a highly questionable refereeing decision. A slip by Julián Álvarez just at the moment of taking the penalty caused the goal to be annulled for allegedly having touched the ball 'twice'.

According to rule 14 regarding penalty kicks, a player cannot touch the ball a second time after making contact with it. The Atlético forward had scored with a great shot, but it was annulled after the ball, after being struck with the right foot, allegedly touched the left foot.

• • If the kicker is penalized for an infraction committed after the referee has signaled to execute the kick, this will be recorded as a miss and the kicker will be cautioned.

Thanks to this controversial decision, Real Madrid qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League and unfortunately gave meaning, once again, to the famous phrase 'this is how Madrid wins.'