UEFA has defended the decision to rule out Julian Alvarez‘s penalty in Atletico Madrid‘s Champions League shootout defeat to Real Madrid but will hold discussions about a possible rules review.
Alvarez slipped as he shot his penalty, catching the ball lightly with his left foot, then knocking himself to the left before hitting it with his right With only one touch allowed, the VAR intervened, and the ref disallowed the goal, denying Atletico a critical equalizer at 2-2.
“The contact with the ball was minimal, on the player’s standing foot before the player kicked the ball,” UEFA added Thursday, affirming that Law 14.1 had been applied.
But the governing body also recognized the debate over accidental double touches and will consult FIFA and IFAB about potential rule change.
Atletico protested the decision following their elimination, but UEFA has so far insisted the correct call was made within the laws of the game as they currently stand.
