Atlético Madrid submits second UEFA complaint after Arsenal semifinal controversy

Atlético Madrid returned to Spain still reeling from its painful loss in London, and the frustration has not faded. With time to reflect after a tense finish, anger remains both in the locker room and in the front office over what unfolded against Arsenal.

Neither Diego Simeone nor his players blamed the refereeing for their elimination in postgame comments. Still, that has not stopped the club from formally raising concerns about the performance of referee Daniel Siebert and his officiating team, both on the field and in the VAR booth. Internally, the message has been clear, the complaints are not meant to serve as excuses.

Atlético lodges formal complaints with UEFA

In fact, Atlético’s response has come on two fronts. Club executives first voiced their concerns directly to UEFA delegates at the stadium immediately after the match. Then, on Wednesday, back in Spain, the club submitted a second complaint after reviewing additional footage from the semifinal.

“Incredulity” has been a word frequently heard around the Metropolitano since the final whistle. Even before kickoff, tensions had already been raised by an incident involving fireworks outside Atleti’s hotel.

Key flashpoints: penalty call, stoppage time, missing replays

The frustration is not limited to what Atlético views as questionable refereeing decisions, though those remain central. Among the most contentious moments was a penalty appeal involving Antoine Griezmann that went uncalled. There was also frustration over five minutes of stoppage time, during which only about 90 seconds were effectively played, with Arsenal facing minimal disciplinary action beyond a yellow card shown to backup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Equally surprising to those inside Atlético was the lack of clear replay footage for several critical moments. One example came in the first half, when Giuliano Simeone was flagged offside despite appearing to start the play from his own half. The sequence ended with a push from Riccardo Calafiori inside the penalty area, a moment Atlético felt warranted closer scrutiny.

Simeone, players avoid public criticism

Inside the Emirates Stadium, neither Simeone nor the players who spoke to the media chose to dwell on the officiating.

“I’m not going to get into that because it would sound like excuses,” the coach said, though he did suggest the Griezmann incident was “obvious.”

Captain Koke echoed a similar tone, saying Siebert “probably tried to do his best.”

Privately, however, the frustration was clear. The return trip to Madrid was a difficult one, made even more so as players began reviewing footage of the match. Giuliano Simeone, for example, posted a clip to Instagram in the early hours of the morning, appearing to show he was onside before the challenge from Calafiori.

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