Simeone beside himself: Can you really whistle for Julian Álvarez's penalty?

Simeone beside himself: Can you really whistle for Julian Álvarez's penalty?

In a dramatic Champions League duel between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid, the penalty decision caused a stir. Atlético coach Diego Simeone was visibly upset after the game over the perceived wrong decision regarding Julián Álvarez's penalty. He asked journalists in the press conference to raise their hands if they thought the striker had touched the ball with both feet. “No one?” he shouted to the group as the reporters hesitated to side with the angry coach, like krone.at reported.

The decisive moment came in the penalty shootout, which Atlético Madrid ultimately lost after a thrilling 2-2 draw throughout the game. The VAR ruled that Álvarez had touched the ball with both his shooting leg and his supporting leg, causing the goal to be disallowed. Simeone made it clear in his remarkable speech: “The pictures show that the ball didn’t move.” He was visibly frustrated by the decision and emphasized that he was proud of his team's performance, which put in an effort throughout an exciting game espn.com.

Real Madrid's triumph and the upcoming quarter-final game

With this decision, Real Madrid won their sixth knockout match against Atlético in the Champions League. Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Antonio Rüdiger scored the other penalties for Real, while Atlético were unable to capitalize on the chances. Atlético previously scored a goal through Conor Gallagher that took them into extra time, but ultimately it wasn't enough to defeat the Royals. Now Real awaits another challenger in the quarter-finals: Arsenal, with games on April 8th and 16th.