Alvarez
Diego Simeone is ruing the manner Real Madrid eliminated Atletico Madrid from the Champions League round of 16 in dramatic fashion.
Los Blancos continued the quest for a 16th title following a controversial 4-2 win in a penalty shoot-out after a tense clash on Wednesday night.
The match had ended 2-2 on aggregate, with the teams tied 1-0 after extra time. Atletico took an early lead through Conor Gallagher’s goal just 27 seconds into the game, while Real Madrid missed a crucial penalty in the 70th minute when Vinicius Junior blasted the ball over the goal.
The penalty shoot-out was marred by controversy when VAR disallowed Julian Alvarez’s attempt, ruling that he had touched the ball twice.
This decision sparked heated debate, with Simeone expressing his frustration and disbelief during the post-match press conference.
“I’ve never seen VAR call to review a penalty in a shoot-out,” he said, challenging journalists to confirm if they had seen Alvarez touch the ball twice.
“To anyone here: raise your hand if you saw that Julián touched the ball twice in the penalty. Come on! And? Ready? Nobody raises theirs. Another question.”
Simeone’s comments highlighted the contentious nature of the call, which many felt was unprecedented in a penalty shoot-out.
