UEFA says it will hold talks with football’s lawmakers over the rules on double touches on penalty kicks after Atletico Madrid’s controversial Champions League exit.
Julian Alvarez was deemed by VAR to have touched the ball twice as he fired in his penalty in a shoot-out against Atleti’s city rivals Real Madrid, with the kick being disallowed.
Real went on to win the shoot-out 4-2. European football’s governing body said on Thursday that although the application of the law had been correct, it would “enter discussions with FIFA and IFAB to determine whether the rule should be reviewed in cases where a double touch is clearly unintentional”.
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IFAB is the International Football Association Board, which sets the laws of football.
Law 14.1 states the kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player, with an indirect free-kick the sanction imposed when such an offence happens during regulation time.
A VAR review found Alvarez had touched the ball twice as he slipped in the process of taking his spot-kick.
“Although minimal, the player made contact with the ball using his standing foot before kicking it, as shown in the attached video clip. Under the current rule (Laws of the Game, Law 14.1), the VAR had to call the referee signalling that the goal should be disallowed,” UEFA said in a statement.
The IFAB and FIFA have been contacted for comment.
Diego Simeone challenged journalists at his press conference over whether they had seen the double touch (Bernat Armangue/AP)
Atletico boss Diego Simeone asked the assembled media at his post-match press conference whether they had seen the second touch from Alvarez.
“Don’t be afraid to speak,” the Argentinian said.
“Are you afraid because you’re going to be punished? If you’re afraid, don’t say anything. Raise your hand if you think Julian knocked twice. No-one? No-one. OK.”