Julian Alvarez’s penalty has sparked major controversy over whether he actually made a double contact during Atletico Madrid’s penalty shootout defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16. But now, Spanish media have uncovered a past UEFA decision that could offer a glimmer of hope for Diego Simeone’s side.
While a rules expert has stressed that VAR’s intervention relied on more than just video replays, confusion over the decision seems to outweigh understanding. As a result, many are calling for Atletico Madrid to appeal Polish referee Szymon Marciniak’s decision.
At first glance, the idea of overturning anything post-match seems outlandish, especially with the focus now shifting to April’s quarter-finals. However, one precedent exists – a penalty that was retaken five days later – fuelling speculation that a similar outcome might just be possible.
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The words Julian Alvarez exchanged with his Atletico Madrid teammates following his controversial penalty have been revealed.
Previous UEFA Decision Gives Atletico Madrid Hope
An unprecedented ruling saw England women’s captain retake a penalty five days later
Back in 2015, Norway and England’s under-19 national teams clashed in a Women’s Elite Round match during the Euro 2015 qualifiers. Norway were in control, leading 2-1, when England were awarded a penalty in the 96th minute.
Current Arsenal Women captain Leah Williamson converted the spot-kick and began celebrating, only for German referee Marija Kurtes to abruptly rule it out for encroachment. The penalty was mistakenly not retaken, and the match ended with Norway victorious. Watch the initial incident below (see around 00:45):
The FA quickly appealed the decision to UEFA, and five days later, the governing body ruled that the match should resume from the 96th minute, allowing the penalty to be retaken. Interestingly, while Williamson successfully converted again, the result ultimately had little impact, as both teams advanced to the knockout stages following the draw.
Williamson later recalled the day of the retaken penalty as “the worst 24 hours of my life”, while the match only lasted a total of 18 seconds before the full-time whistle sounded for the second time. Watch the incident below:
Given the unusual nature of that decision, it offers Atletico Madrid a glimmer of hope that a similar ruling could be made in their case – potentially reviving their chances of reaching the Champions League semi-finals, where they would face injury-riddled Arsenal if they prove to be successful.