Julian Alvarez’s Disallowed Penalty vs. Real Madrid – Why It Was Ruled Out & Reactions

The whirlwind of emotions that washed over Julian Alvarez in just a few moments must have been overwhelming.

As the Atletico Madrid forward prepared to take the fourth penalty in Wednesday’s shootout against Real Madrid, a surge of panic momentarily crossed his face when his left foot faltered.

That was swiftly replaced with relief when he saw the ball crash into the roof of Thibaut Courtois’ net, leveling the score once again in the Champions League round of 16 ties.

A haze of uncertainty quickly enveloped the entire Metropolitano.

However, it eventually became apparent to those outside the stadium that VAR had detected a double touch during Alvarez’s penalty, leading to its subsequent disallowance.

Real Madrid ultimately prevailed, consigning Alvarez to a final state of deflation.

Why was Julian Alvarez’s penalty ruled out against Real Madrid?

Simply put, Alvarez touched the ball twice, accidentally kicking it with his right foot onto his standing left foot.

According to Law 14 in the rules of the game, “If, after the penalty kick has been taken, the kicker touches the ball again before it has touched another player, an indirect free kick (or direct free kick for a handball offense) is awarded.”

Since the infraction occurred during a penalty shootout, the sequence of spot kicks continued instead of awarding a free kick.

Spotting the double touch was a bit more complicated.

How VAR ruled out Julian Alvarez’s penalty

Despite theories to the contrary, there is no chip in the Champions League ball to assist with the semi-automated offside technology such as the system used at Euro 2024.

On-pitch referee Szymon Marciniak did not spot the offense in real time but was assisted by his VAR Tomasz Kwiatkowski.

UEFA has not released an official statement, but the Independent’s Miguel Delaney claimed that the organizing body for European football had offered some clarity, “UEFA saying it is just VAR so using replays to confirm double-touch on a penalty,” he reported.

“No sensors used, or other tech.”

Reaction to Julian Alvarez’s disallowed penalty

Real Madrid goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, noticed something that the other 69,000 spectators packed into the Metropolitano on Wednesday night overlooked.

“I felt like it was a double [touch] and I told the referee,” the Belgian shot-stopper, who infamously represented Atletico for three years. “It’s not easy to see, and it’s bad luck for them.”

The protagonist of this controversy, Alvarez himself, wasn’t so convinced. “I didn’t feel like I touched the ball,” he told his teammates in the dressing room after elimination, as quoted by MARCA.

Atletico manager, Diego Simeone, was even more forceful. “Did you see the penalty?” the Argentine coach asked in his post-match press conference. “Raise your hand if you’ve seen Julian kick the ball twice.” No one raised their hand.

Simeone’s Real Madrid counterpart Carlo Ancelotti unsurprisingly took a different view. “VAR had already detected it when we realized it,” the Italian explained.

“I didn’t realize this, but then I saw it, and it seems to me that Julian Alvarez took the second touch with his left foot.”

Real Madrid has consistently found themselves on the receiving end of refereeing controversies this season, at least according to the club, fostering a negative perception of officials that has become increasingly toxic.

Courtois had had enough of the debate. “I’m always fed up with that victimhood, always crying about things like this,” he huffed after the match.

“Referees don’t want to benefit a team, neither in Spain nor in Europe. They saw it clearly and called it that way. They’re human, and with technology, they saw it.

“If you’re winning 1-0 in the first minute and don’t go for the second, that’s the mistake of their game.”

Why did Julian Alvarez leave Man City?

The 23-year-old signed a six-year contract with the La Liga clubsix-year contract with the La Liga club, marking a new chapter in his career.

The transfer reportedly cost Atletico around 75 million euros, setting a record for City.

During his two years at City, Alvarez celebrated significant triumphs, including two Premier League titles, a Champions League win, and a World Cup victory with Argentina. Now, eager for a fresh challenge, he expressed his commitment to fully support Diego Simeone’s squad.

“I felt I needed a change in my career, looking for a new challenge,” Alvarez stated at his presentation. He is ready to give his all on the pitch, aiming to develop as a player and help Atletico compete for titles in the upcoming season.