Mikel Arteta blasted the decision to overturn a penalty awarded to substitute Eberechi Eze as ‘completely unacceptable’ after Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at Atletico Madrid.
Eze went down in the box under a challenge from David Hancko on 78 minutes. Referee Danny Makkelie initially pointed to the spot, but VAR intervened and advised a pitch-side review. After multiple replays — reported to be 13 viewings — Makkelie reversed his decision and the match finished level, leaving the tie to be decided at the Emirates in a week.
Arteta, speaking to TNT Sports, said he was furious with the reversal. He argued there was clear contact and that reversing the on-field call after so many replays was wrong and altered the course of the tie. He described the outcome as extremely disappointing and unacceptable at this level.
Midfielder Declan Rice shared the frustration, calling it ‘a clear penalty’ and suggesting the atmosphere and home crowd may have influenced the official. Rice also contrasted VAR interpretations in the Champions League with those in the Premier League, saying referees appear to apply different standards and that both boxes require extreme caution.
UEFA issued a short statement: ‘Atleti player, No 17, did not commit a foul on the opponent.’ The governing body declined to expand on the rationale when asked by Sky Sports News. Previously, UEFA said VAR would intervene only for ‘clear and obvious mistakes’ in match-changing situations.
The tie included three penalties overall. Arsenal had taken the lead from the spot in the first half after Viktor Gyokeres was bundled over from behind by Hancko, and he converted the resulting penalty. Atletico levelled after the break when VAR flagged a handball by Ben White from a Marcos Llorente shot; despite the ball apparently deflecting off White’s knee into his hand, a penalty was awarded and converted.
Arteta noted that handball interpretations in the Champions League have been applied differently than in England and urged consistency, saying if such incidents are to be penalised then teams must accept that. The White decision followed a contentious handball call that also affected PSG’s win over Bayern Munich in the other semi-final, fuelling debate about the competition’s handball rulings.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher voiced similar concerns on X, asking UEFA to clarify handball definitions and calling recent penalties a stain on the competition.
When asked whether Arsenal would protest to UEFA, Arteta said he would leave that to the club to decide. Despite his anger at the officials, he praised his players’ mentality and performance in a hostile setting, saying he was proud of how they handled the environment and that the tie remains in Arsenal’s hands ahead of the second leg at the Emirates.