Atlético 1–1 Arsenal: UEFA justifies overturning the penalty
After the late-match controversy in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, UEFA confirmed the VAR decision to overturn the penalty initially awarded to Arsenal, ruling that there was no foul by David Hancko on Eberechi Eze.
UEFA provided clarification after the controversy that emerged during the Champions League semi-final first leg between Atlético Madrid and Arsenal. At the end of the game, a contentious situation pitted Eberechi Eze against the Madrid defense. The Arsenal striker went down inside the box after contact with David Hancko, initially prompting referee Danny Makkelie to point to the penalty spot.
But after the video assistant referee intervention, the match official was asked to review the footage. After several viewings, he ultimately overturned his decision, deeming that the contact did not justify a sanction. A sequence that sparked the anger of the London bench, notably Mikel Arteta, who condemned a decision “incomprehensible” at the final whistle.
In a brief statement, UEFA confirmed the refereeing decision: “The Atlético player, number 17, committed no foul on the opponent.” A stance that is unlikely to quell the controversy around this tense end to the match.
