Argentine forward Julián Álvarez has broken his silence more than a week after his disallowed penalty against Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16. Back in Argentina, where he is taking part in the FIFA international break, the Colchonero did not hold back.
He was at the centre of a major controversy on 12 March. In top form for months, Julián Álvarez had hoped to lead Atlético Madrid to the Champions League quarter-finals before crossing paths with Real Madrid. In an epic two-legged clash against Carlo Ancelotti’s side, the former Manchester City striker delivered an outstanding performance. However, despite his efforts, he became one of the main talking points of his club’s elimination due to his (scored) penalty being disallowed during the penalty shootout, following a double touch.
Álvarez’s blunt opinion
Given the strict rules on the matter, Polish referee Szymon Marciniak checked Julián Álvarez’s strike and disallowed it. Since the incident was difficult to judge with the naked eye, VAR had to intervene and ultimately confirmed the decision, according to UEFA. The Argentine forward has struggled to come to terms with the ruling. After Argentina’s 1-0 win against Uruguay in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the River Plate academy graduate addressed the controversy.
While Movistar reported that he had admitted to touching the ball twice when taking the crucial penalty against Thibaut Courtois, Julián Álvarez revealed a different truth: “I’ve watched it thousands of times, there are videos everywhere. The truth is, I didn’t feel it. If there were two touches, it was minimal contact, and it’s very difficult to sense,” the Albiceleste international told ESPN.
“It’s a shame what happened”
As the Atlético Madrid president stated, the Albiceleste forward believes the rule should be revised: “I think the rule needs to be a bit clearer because I’m not trying to gain an advantage. When a goalkeeper makes a save while stepping off his line, the penalty is retaken. It’s not about gaining an advantage. It’s a shame what happened,” he added, resigned. His firm stance will only further aggravate Atlético Madrid players.
Regardless, as the controversy continues to grow despite the passage of time, football’s governing bodies may need to make clearer decisions to prevent such debates in future competitions. Notably, a video editing expert recently shocked everyone by claiming that UEFA may have altered the footage to make it appear as though Julián Álvarez’s penalty was rightfully disallowed by the Polish referees. Marca confirm the news.
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