Declan Rice and Arsenal face a nervous wait following his Champions League comments
11:32, 02 May 2026Updated 11:38, 02 May 2026
Declan Rice
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Declan Rice could be hit with a Champions League ban(Image: Europa Press via Getty Images)
Declan Rice will know what's coming if UEFA decide to sanction him for his remarks about referee Danny Makkelie.
The Arsenal skipper was left incensed when the Dutch official reversed his own penalty decision during the Champions League semi-final first leg at Atletico Madrid. With the score at 1-1, Makkelie reviewed Eberechi Eze being brought down in the area 13 times on the pitchside monitor before overturning his initial call.
Rice claimed the referee was "provoked" into changing his decision by the home supporters. He said: "It's a clear penalty. And I don't know how that's not been given. I think the fans provoked the decision and changed the ref's mind.
"UEFA is totally different [to the Premier League]. In both boxes, you have to be so careful because they give absolutely everything."
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The remarks may prove costly, as a UEFA inquiry is underway that could result in a ban. Historical precedent involving Rice and other significant UEFA incidents suggests he may face a suspension.
Following West Ham's Europa League semi-final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022, Rice was captured on camera in the tunnel, seemingly accusing referee Jesus Gil Manzano of "corruption."
Referee Danny Makkelie looks at VAR
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Makkelie watched the incident 13 times before reversing his decision(Image: DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
He was heard saying on footage widely shared on social media: "Ref, ref, it's so poor, all night, it's so bad. How can you be that bad, honestly? You've probably been paid."
He was subsequently found guilty of insulting a match official five weeks after the incident and received a two-match ban from UEFA competitions. On this occasion, UEFA will assess Makkelie's report before determining whether Rice's remarks called into question the official's integrity.
It remains uncertain how long the process will take and whether any potential ban would apply to this season's competition. It would be a nightmare for Arsenal if he is ruled out of the second leg and the final, if they get there.
Declan Rice
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Rice didn't hold back during or after the game(Image: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
The second leg at Emirates Stadium takes place on Tuesday. Were he to be deemed a repeat offender, Rice could face a considerably harsher punishment.
Comparable cases have similarly resulted in bans. In 2019, Neymar received a three-match suspension (later reduced to two) for labelling VAR officials a "disgrace" on social media following Paris Saint-Germain's defeat to Manchester United in the Champions League.
In 2015, Serge Aurier, also of PSG, was handed a three-match ban for calling a referee a "dirty son of a b****" in a video posted to social media after a match against Chelsea in the Champions League.
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