The UEFA Champions League round of 16 clash between Real Madrid and Atletico de Madrid ended in controversy. Both teams drew on aggregate, so the match went to a penalty shootout. Atletico’s striker Julian Alvarez converted his attempt, but replays showed he made contact with the ball twice. The referee spotted the infraction and disallowed the goal. As a result, Real Madrid advanced, while Atletico suffered a painful elimination.
After the game, the referee’s decision sparked heavy controversy. The second touch looked accidental and very light. Still, the rules stated that any double contact voids the kick. Because of the uproar, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) issued an important clarification of Law 14 regarding double contact during penalties.
In the statement, the IFAB clarified that this law targets situations where a player deliberately touches the ball twice. This differs significantly from the incident involving Julian Alvarez, where he accidentally made a double touch. For that reason, the organization decided to modify Law 14 to define these type of scenarios more clearly, emphasizing that penalties would still apply:
“The penalty taker accidentally kicks the ball with both feet simultaneously or the ball touches their non-kicking foot or leg immediately after the kick:
• If the kick is successful, it is retaken
• If the kick is unsuccessful, an indirect free kick is awarded (unless the referee plays advantage when it clearly benefits the defending team) or, in the case of penalties (penalty shoot-out), the kick is recorded as missed
• The penalty taker deliberately kicks the ball with both feet simultaneously or deliberately touches it a second time before it has touched another player: An indirect free kick is awarded (unless the referee plays advantage when it clearly benefits the defending team) or, in the case of penalties (penalty shoot-out), the kick is recorded as missed.”
Nahuel Molina of Atletico de Madrid is challenged by Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 second leg match between Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid C.F. at Estadio Metropolitano on March 12, 2025 in Madrid, Spain.
How could the new rules have changed the referee’s decision in Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid UCL clash?
Taking these changes into account, Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez would have retaken his penalty instead of having the goal voided. He scored the goal, so under the new rules, the shot would not have counted as a miss. However, it does not mean the referee made a mistake during the Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid Champions League game. He applied Law 14 as it was in force at the time.
see also
Champions League: Why was Julian Alvarez’s goal for Atletico vs Real Madrid in the penalty shootout disallowed?
Moreover, the IFAB confirmed that these changes will take full effect on July 1, 2025. Therefore, the referee will not face any consequences for his decision since he followed the correct procedure with the previous Law 14. Additionally, the updated rules will apply to every competition officially recognized by FIFA.
