UEFA has set out its position after Arsenal had a late penalty overturned during the first leg of their Champions League semi-final in Madrid. Substitute Eberechi Eze appeared to win a spot-kick after going down under a challenge from Atletico defender David Hancko around the 78th minute, but the on-field decision was reversed following a VAR-recommended review.
Referee Danny Makkelie went to the pitchside monitor to check the incident after VAR intervened. Having watched the replays, he ruled the challenge did not amount to a foul and disallowed the penalty. UEFA later issued a short explanation saying the Atletico player “did not commit a foul on the opponent,” but declined to expand on the specific reasoning behind the reversal when approached by broadcasters.
The governing body has previously said VAR will check all match-changing situations but should only overturn on-field calls for clear and obvious errors. That standard was at the centre of the debate after Saturday’s match.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher told Sky Sports he felt some camera angles suggested contact while others were inconclusive, and argued VAR had examined too many different views rather than focusing on decisive angles. Gallagher said the key question after a referee awards a penalty is whether there is a clear and obvious reason to overturn it — in his view, there was not.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was visibly furious after the decision and described it as “completely unacceptable,” saying the contact was clear and that overturning the call changed the course of the tie. He added he would leave any formal protest to the club.
The match ended 1-1 and was notable for the number of spot-kicks. Arsenal had taken the lead from a penalty converted by Viktor Gyokeres after Hancko bundled him from behind. Atletico later equalised through Julian Alvarez when VAR sent Makkelie to the monitor to rule that Ben White had handled the ball after a Marcos Llorente shot deflected onto his arm.
Arteta accepted that the Champions League’s interpretation of handball can differ from the Premier League and acknowledged VAR consistency on that point, even if he disagreed with the earlier overturned decision. Pundits including Jamie Carragher have urged UEFA to clarify the handball definition used in the competition, saying recent penalty calls have been damaging to the tournament.
With the tie finely poised, Arsenal and Atletico head into the second leg next week with plenty of controversy still unresolved, and UEFA facing renewed calls to be clearer about how VAR judgments are reached.