The European football governing body, UEFA, has issued a statement explaining the reasoning behind the overturned penalty decision in Arsenal's Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid. The incident occurred when substitute Eberechi Eze was brought down by Atletico defender David Hancko in the 78th minute, and although contact was made, the VAR intervened, prompting referee Danny Makkelie to review the play on his monitor. After examining multiple replays, Makkelie ruled out the penalty, a decision that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta deemed 'completely unacceptable.' UEFA's statement simply stated that the Atletico player did not commit a foul. The organization declined to provide further clarification on the decision-making process.
Former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher shared his thoughts on the matter, suggesting that while one angle appeared to show Eze being fouled, another angle was inconclusive. Gallagher believes the referee was correct in initially awarding the penalty but thinks the VAR overanalyzed the situation. He emphasized that once a penalty is given, it should only be overturned if there is clear and obvious evidence to do so. Gallagher does not think the incident warranted overturning the penalty.
Arsenal's Declan Rice also expressed his disagreement with the decision, stating that it was a 'clear' penalty and that the referee was swayed by the hostile Atletico fans. Rice believes the fans' provocation influenced the referee's decision to change his mind. Arteta was visibly upset by the decision, calling it 'extremely disappointing and annoying' and feeling that it altered the course of the tie.
He questioned the need for the referee to review the incident 13 times before reversing his decision. The match ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw, with both goals coming from penalties. The first was awarded to Arsenal when Viktor Gyokeres was brought down by Hancko, and the second was given to Atletico after a handball by Ben White was spotted by the VAR.
Arteta acknowledged that the interpretation of handball in the Champions League differs from that in the Premier League, but Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has called for UEFA to address the definition of handball in the competition.