UEFA to Review Penalty Rules After Alvarez’s Spot Kick is Disallowed
UEFA has announced that it will discuss the rules around penalties with the game’s lawmakers after Julian Alvarez’s penalty was disallowed in Atletico Madrid’s Champions League exit.
During a penalty shootout in Atletico’s last-16 match against Real Madrid, Alvarez slipped before scoring past Thibaut Courtois. However, after a review by the video assistant referee (VAR), the goal was ruled out because Alvarez was considered to have touched the ball twice. Real Madrid won the shootout 4-2 and progressed to the next round.
On Thursday, UEFA said that while the law was correctly applied in Madrid, they would review the current rules with the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and FIFA. This review will focus on situations where a double touch is “clearly unintentional.”
Article 14.1 of IFAB’s laws on penalties states: “The kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player.”
In a statement, UEFA said: “Under the current rule (Laws of the Game, Law 14.1), the VAR had to inform the referee that the goal should be disallowed.”
This marks the sixth time Atletico Madrid has lost a penalty shootout to their neighbours Real Madrid in all competitions.
