Key Takeaways
- The referee cancelled a penalty decision for Arsenal after checking the VAR monitor during the Champions League semi-final first leg in Madrid.
- Declan Rice believes the Atletico Madrid supporters influenced the officials in Switzerland to change the call.
- The match finished level, setting up a crucial second leg at the Emirates Stadium next week.
Arsenal players have expressed strong anger over a controversial refereeing decision during their Champions League semi-final clash with Atletico Madrid. The Gunners felt they should have received a second spot-kick in the second half, but the official changed his mind after video review.
The incident took place at the Estadio Metropolitano. The referee initially pointed to the penalty spot after spotting a challenge on Eberechi Eze. However, he reversed this choice following a lengthy VAR check.
Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, was reportedly furious with the final call. Meanwhile, the Atletico squad insisted the referee made the correct choice. Their manager, Diego Simeone, chose to focus on Arsenal’s earlier penalty, suggesting that decision was soft.
Midfielder Declan Rice spoke strongly about the matter. He claimed the noisy home crowd affected the VAR team based in Switzerland. Rice stated that Eze’s situation was a definite penalty and he could not understand how the officials refused to give it. He added that he believes the supporters caused the decision and changed the referee’s thinking.
Defender Piero Hincapie shared similar views. He did not blame the stadium atmosphere, but he was certain the official had erred. He told Movistar+ that the rejected penalty was extremely obvious and clearly a mistake by the referee. He added that the squad will move forward and hope future decisions help them.
Striker Viktor Gyokeres also discussed the match with reporters. He noted that Arsenal controlled the opening period but struggled after the interval. He explained that they managed the first half quite well, created several good chances and scored one goal. Then in the second half, Atletico began much stronger and scored eventually.
Regarding the Eze incident, Gyokeres added that he did not see Atletico’s penalty clearly, so it was hard to judge. However, he noted that it appeared there was contact, but it was the officials’ decision to make.
The Swedish forward remains confident about the return fixture in London. He said it was not simple playing at the Metropolitano because the home team had their fans behind them. Arsenal tried to regain the control they had in the first half and recovered some momentum late in the game. Gyokeres concluded that the second leg will be different with Arsenal’s supporters present, and the team must perform at their best for the exciting match at home.
The second leg takes place next Tuesday evening at the Emirates Stadium. Both clubs are chasing their first Champions League title in history.