Diego Simeone complains about Arsenal decision after Atletico Madrid draw

Diego Simeone was unhappy with Arsenal’s penalty decision after Atletico Madrid’s 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday night.

Viktor Gyokeres put Arsenal in front from the penalty spot late in the first half after he was barged over in the box by Atletico centre-back David Hancko.

Atletico were then awarded a penalty of their own in the second half after the ball struck Ben White’s hand from Marcos Llorente’s shot, and Julian Alvarez stepped up to equalise for Simeone’s side.

Arsenal felt they had a second penalty when Hancko mistimed an interception and stood on Eberechi Eze’s foot, however, Dutch referee Danny Makkelie reversed his initial decision after watching several replays on the VAR screen.

When asked about Gyokeres’ penalty decision in the first half, Simeone said: ‘In my opinion, the first penalty involved contact from behind, the player anticipated the contact and went down.

‘In Champions League semi-finals, you need a penalty that is truly a penalty.

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‘The referee understood that it was.

On the other occasion, thanks to VAR, he understood that it was a penalty because initially it wasn’t a handball, and then, in the second instance, also thanks to VAR, it wasn’t a penalty.

‘VAR sometimes gives you the benefit of the doubt and sometimes it takes it away.’
Arteta, meanwhile, admitted Arsenal were ‘fuming’ with the decision to overturn Eze’s penalty claim in the second half.

‘The decision and then what happens for a period of time.

The referee has to watch it 13 times, it’s clearer than that,’ Arteta said.

‘It’s impossible, and yeah, we are all fuming about it.

Asked if Atletico’s supporters and animated coaching staff had an impact on the decision, Arteta replied: ‘That has nothing to do with that.

‘I’m sure they are very well aware of what the reaction is going to be.

It’s normal, that reaction, we need to apply the rules.

‘The same thing that I’m saying, that they applied the rules on Ben White’s penalty, that is difficult to accept, but it is a penalty with a handbook.

‘And what they said at the beginning of the season, Ebs is a clear and very obvious penalty.

That’s it.’
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