Arbitral controversy surrounds Atlético in Champions League
Arbitral controversy continues to haunt Atlético de Madrid, even in European competitions. A month after the controversial annulment of Julián Álvarez’s penalty goal in the Champions League match against Real Madrid, new shadows loom over UEFA.
The decision to remove Tomasz Kwiatkowski from VAR alongside Szymon Marciniak for the Tottenham match in the Europa League, citing a strange injury, has raised suspicions.
Former international referee Xavier Estrada Fernández called the situation a “farce” and questioned the veracity of the alleged injury, ironically wondering what kind of ailment could prevent a referee from performing his duties in VAR, especially considering the income generated by this work.
Estrada Fernández suggested that the refereeing appointments in UEFA could be influenced, pointing out that Velasco Carballo, now in UEFA, could be favoring Spanish referees.
In addition, the former referee referred to the expert reports presented by Atlético de Madrid fans suggesting that the video used to justify the decision on Álvarez’s penalty was edited, which he considers a very serious fact.
Estrada Fernández criticized UEFA’s lack of transparency in this matter. The former referee concluded by emphasizing the importance of neutrality in European competitions, warning about situations that generate distrust and manipulate reality.
