Iturralde Questions UEFA's Explanation on the Penalty
Eduardo Iturralde González, a former referee, has analyzed the controversial play of Julián Álvarez’s double touch on the penalty during the Champions League match against Real Madrid.
In his appearance on El Larguero, Iturralde expressed skepticism towards UEFA’s statement, stating that instead of clarifying the situation, it generates even more confusion. “I am not convinced by UEFA’s explanations,” Iturralde declared.
“The statement itself contradicts, leaving the person who wrote it in an unfavorable position”. According to Iturralde, UEFA is trying to justify the annulment of the goal based on rule 14.1, which states that if a player touches the ball twice in a penalty, it must be annulled.
However, the former referee points out that the same rule indicates that the ball is in play when it is hit and moves clearly, creating a contradiction. Iturralde also criticized UEFA’s decision to consider the option of modifying the rule in IFAB.
“If UEFA validates the annulment of the goal and states that the referee acted correctly according to the rule, why submit it to review in IFAB?” Iturralde questioned, suggesting that this action would imply a doubt about the correctness of the arbitral decision. In his opinion, it should be Atlético de Madrid, who considers themselves harmed, who requests the review, not UEFA.
