UEFA explains controversial VAR decision against Arsenal
Arsenal remain unhappy with the VAR decision regarding the ‘foul’ on Eze. Now UEFA have spoken out.
Arsenal flew back from Madrid with a result in their hand luggage they can be proud of; Atlético Madrid are not the giant soldier of stone they once were, but getting to a Champions League semi-final is no fluke. However, as is the case with the Gunners this season, the modern-day controversy kept them talking in the hours after the final whistle blew.
During the second half of a tense semi-final first leg, Eberechi Eze went down inside the box after what must have been a thunderous intervention from defender David Hancko, prompting referee Danny Makkelie to point straight to the spot.
For a few moments, given Eze’s reaction to being shot by a sniper, it looked straightforward. But when the referee was asked to review the incident on the monitor, replays showed the contact to be minimal at best.
The game finished 1-1, with both sides scoring from penalties, but the overturned decision quickly dominated the post-match reaction. Arsenal players and staff made their feelings clear post game, with Arteta calling it “completely unacceptable”.
And now UEFA have gone public. Their official line is that the VAR team judged that no foul had actually been committed in the challenge on Eze. In other words, the original decision was considered a clear error, which is the threshold required for VAR to intervene.
In a brief statement, UEFA said: “Atleti player, No 17, did not commit a foul on the opponent.”
That explanation hasn’t exactly calmed the debate, with the UK media standing firmly behind the London team. They argue that the incident during the game of contact sport involved at least some level of contact, and therefore merited a penalty. I’ll let you decide.
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