Arsenal have reached their second-ever Champions League final after seeing off Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate. Yet controversial refereeing calls somewhat overshadowed proceedings.
Mikel Arteta’s men were held to a 1-1 stalemate when they travelled to Madrid last week for the opening leg, though that encounter wasn’t short of VAR controversy. The first period of the return fixture proved a tense affair, with a place in the final at stake.
Yet in the 44th minute, Bukayo Saka pounced fastest after Leandro Trossard’s effort was pushed away by Atletico keeper Jan Oblak, breaking the deadlock. Early in the second period, Antoine Griezmann brought down a rebound inside the area and seemed to be clipped by Riccardo Calafiori.
Supporters may have braced themselves for the worst, but VAR declined to award a penalty, ruling that Atletico’s Marc Pubill had fouled Gabriel in the build-up to Calafiori’s challenge. The Spanish media have bemoaned this call as Arsenal clung on for a 1-0 victory to book their place in Budapest.
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Calafiori’s challenge on Griezmann in the second period would have almost certainly resulted in an Atletico spot-kick had it not been for what was deemed a foul by Pubill beforehand. Referee Daniel Siebert has borne the brunt of criticism for the decision, with Spanish publication AS particularly scathing.
View 4 ImagesSpanish outlets believe Atletico should have had a penalty(Image: Getty)
“For the Rojiblancos, tonight will be remembered above all by one name. His name was Daniel Siebert,” one report stated. “[It was] a clear, blatant, undeniable stamp on the foot with which Calafiori brought down the Frenchman.
“But the referee had previously whistled for a foul by Pubill on Gabriel, which, by the way, wasn’t a foul. They had both jumped at the same time and the VAR room didn’t even take him to the monitor.
“The tool was supposed to be there to avoid errors like this. The kind that always drowns Atletico’s hopes in the Champions League. His whistle was heard afterwards. Siebert, alongside [referees Mark] Clattenburg and [Szymon] Marciniak: these guys are truly mad, bad, and dangerous.”
The incident drew further condemnation from Mundo Deportivo. The publication wrote: “After a shot by Pubill, the referee disallowed Calafiori’s clear foul on Griezmann.
View 4 ImagesSiebert was at the centre of some divisive calls(Image: Getty)
“The replays clearly show that Pubill did not commit the foul, so a penalty should have been awarded. However, the VAR officials opted not to overturn Siebert’s initial decision.
“In the first half, Calafiori had already committed a clear penalty against Giuliano [Simeone] in the 41st minute. A push that sent him sprawling inside the area. However, that play was ruled offside. An offside that, surprisingly, wasn’t reviewed by VAR.”
Another outlet, Sport, also voiced frustration with the refereeing, writing: “Football owes no one anything. It just settles scores. It’s the debt collector.
View 4 ImagesOne publication pointed out a first-half act(Image: Getty)
“There are no Champions League titles left for Atletico. The memory only serves to torture them for what could have been. They exposed the inconsistency of referee Daniel Siebert. A referee known for his quick decisions.
“He failed to call a clear penalty for a foul by Calafiori on Griezmann after an alleged foul on Gabriel. The VAR official was Bastian Dankert, the German referee who witnessed Julian Alvarez’s double touch [penalty miss that saw Atletico knocked out of last year’s Champions League by Real Madrid].”
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