Mikel Arteta expressed fierce disappointment after the referee’s decision to cancel a penalty awarded to Eberechi Eze, describing the move as "completely unacceptable". The incident occurred during the first leg of Arsenal's Champions League semi‑final against Atletico Madrid, a match that ultimately ended in a 1‑1 draw. In the 78th minute, substitute Eze found himself in the box and was brought down by David Hancko.
The contact appeared to be a clear foot‑on‑foot challenge, and Arsenal seemed poised to regain the lead. However, VAR intervened, prompting referee Danny Makkelie to consult the monitor. After reviewing several replays, Makkelie withdrew the penalty he had initially signalled, leaving the score unchanged as the teams headed into the second leg at the Emirates Stadium. Arteta, speaking to TNT Sports immediately after the final whistle, delivered a scathing assessment of the reversal.
"After returning to the dressing room, talking to the lads and watching the incident again, it was extremely disappointing and frustrating because it contravened the rules and altered the trajectory of the tie," he said. "I’m very, very upset. The whole sequence shows clear contact.
You make a decision, you cannot overturn it after watching it thirteen times. It is wholly unacceptable at this level. It was the wrong decision." Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice echoed Arteta’s fury, insisting that the penalty should have stood and suggesting that the referee was influenced by the atmosphere in the stadium. "It was a clear penalty, and I don’t understand why it wasn’t given," Rice argued.
"I think the fans provoked the decision and changed the referee’s mind. UEFA operates differently from the Premier League – you have to be extremely careful in both boxes because they give everything away." The Dutch referee, Danny Makkelie, under the watchful eye of Diego Simeone and before a crowd of roughly 70,000 Atletico supporters, examined the incident thirteen times before overturning his original call. UEFA later released a brief statement on its website, asserting that "Atleti player, No 17, did not commit a foul on the opponent." The governing body declined to elaborate further on the decision‑making process when questioned by Sky Sports News, reiterating that VAR is intended to intervene only in "clear and obvious mistakes" that affect match‑changing situations.
When asked in the post‑match press conference whether Arsenal would lodge a formal protest with UEFA, Arteta replied, "I leave that to the club to decide what’s the best thing to do. Now they’re not giving us a penalty.
That’s it. It’s gone." The encounter was notable for featuring three penalty incidents. Arsenal had taken the lead at halftime through a spot‑kick converted by Viktor Gyokeres after Hancko again collided with the striker, this time from behind.
Atletico equalised after the break when Julian Alvarez was awarded a penalty following a VAR review that identified a handball by Ben White. The ball had deflected off White’s knee onto his hand after Marcos Llorente’s shot, prompting the referee to send Makkelie to the monitor once more. Arteta acknowledged that the interpretation of handball in the Champions League differs from that in the Premier League, stating, "They have been consistent with that. If you are going to give a penalty for this kind of thing you have to accept it." The controversy surrounding handball decisions extended beyond this match.
In the other semi‑final, UEFA faced criticism after Alphonso Davies was penalised in Paris Saint‑Germain’s victory over Bayern Munich, a decision that sparked debate about the consistency of handball rulings. Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher took to X (formerly Twitter) to call on UEFA to clarify the handball definition in the Champions League, saying, "The Champions League is the best football by a mile, but these penalty decisions for handball really are a stain on the competition.
Last night’s was worse but that should not be a penalty against White." Reflecting on Arsenal’s overall performance in Madrid, Arteta praised his squad’s resilience and preparation. "I’m very proud – I told the boys how remarkable their handling of the context for nine and a half months has been," he said. "I really value what they’ve done because I’ve seen some of the world’s best teams crumble and concede three or four goals.
We didn’t get the result we wanted, but the way we planned the game, we wanted to win it. At least it is in our hands, in front of our people. We want to be in that final and in a week’s time we will have the opportunity to do so." The debate over VAR and handball interpretations continues to dominate discussions about the future of the Champions League, with clubs, managers, and fans all calling for clearer guidelines and more consistent application of the technology.
As Arsenal prepares for the second leg at the Emirates, the team will have to contend not only with Atletico’s tactical prowess but also with the lingering sense of injustice that has fueled their determination to secure a place in the final.