Diego Simeone reacts to Julian Alvarez drama after brutal Atletico Madrid exit

Diego Simeone is adamant that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) made the wrong decision over Julian Alvarez’s spot-kick in Atletico Madrid’s Champions League exit to Real Madrid after a dramatic penalty shootout.

Simeone’s team crashed out of the competition in the last 16 in the most brutal of fashions with former Manchester City star Alvarez seeing a penalty controversially ruled out in the shootout against Atletico’s rivals.

The 25-year-old Argentine took the fourth kick in the shootout when Real had a 2-1 lead and slipped as he took his effort.

It looked like Alvarez had got away with it as the ball flew into the roof of the net but VAR then intervened as replays showed Alvarez connecting with his right foot and the ball hitting his left leg for a double kick.

That went against the rules, meaning Alvarez’s scored penalty was chalked off, with Real then going on to get the job done to win the shootout 4-2.

Simeone was left furious in his post-match press conference after Atletico’s elimination, insisting ‘the ball didn’t move’ before asking reporters to ‘raise their hands’ if they felt Alvarez was guilty of a double kick.

‘I just saw the image of the penalty,’ Simeone said. ‘The referee said that when Julián stepped and kicked, he touched the ball with his foot, but the ball didn’t move.

‘That’s something to discuss about whether it was a goal or not, but I’m proud of my players.’

Asked if he was ‘sure’ about his view on Alvarez’s double kick, Simeone added: ‘When he plants his foot and kicks, the ball doesn’t move even a little bit.

‘But if VAR called it, I’ve never seen a penalty called by VAR, but it’s still valid, and they’ll have seen that he touched it. I want to believe they’ll have seen that he touched it.’

Quizzed if he had spoken to Alvarez about the double kick, Simeone said: ‘What did you see? Raise your hand if you think Julian knocked twice. I didn’t speak to him.’

Simeone refused to criticise his players after the match and urged them to keep their heads held high, with Atletico back in action on Sunday, as they face a La Liga clash against Barcelona.

‘People are leaving with the pain of being eliminated, without a doubt,’ Simeone continued.

‘We all wanted to play in the final, but knowing that their team gave it their all. There are two ways to go to sleep: one, saying how badly we played, we didn’t do what we had to do; and the other is saying that we gave everything.

‘This team gave everything and deserved the applause the fans gave us in return. The fans were there yesterday, they were there today. It was a very beautiful day. We [don’t get to] continue [in the Champions League], but I’m leaving in peace.’

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