Julián Alvarez has spoken to ESPN about the ongoing penalty shootout controversy from Atlético Madrid’s Champions League meeting with Real Madrid — and he insists that his attempt was ruled out unfairly as Atlético suffered elimination in the round of 16.
“I watched it a thousand times, there are videos everywhere,” Alvarez said after Argentina defeated Uruguay on Friday. “I don’t feel like I touched it twice. The rules need to be a little clearer.”
It was previously unclear how Alvarez had processed such a tough moment in his career, and although he’s undoubtedly a resilient character, it seems he still finds himself in the same boat as many Atlético fans: ruminating over the incident. We all have probably watched the penalty incident a thousand times by now, and Alvarez’s last sentence underpins the sentiment that most fans, pundits, and even former players have felt regarding the rules and regulations. A request has been made by the International Union of Atlético de Madrid Supporters’ Club for UEFA to release the original video which the refereeing team used to determine the double touch, as well as the VAR audio recordings. Hopefully then, clarity will be restored.
On the pitch, four out of Atlético’s five Argentine internationals featured in this World Cup qualifier at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo. Alvarez led the line and played the full 90 minutes in the absence of Lionel Messi; although the two started games together in the past and worked beautifully in tandem, specifically during Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph, Alvarez is seen as an “heir to the throne” as Messi heads into his late thirties. La Araña created four major chances and assisted the game-winning strike through some neat dribbling and impressive awareness to find the unmarked Thiago Almada on the edge of the box, though this pass below was his best of the night:
Elsewhere in the Argentina setup, Giuliano Simeone made his first senior start, deployed on the right to form an attacking trident with Almada and Alvarez; he completed 70 minutes with his usual energy and work-rate. At right back, Nahuel Molina completed a full 90, linking up with Giuliano when he could. Elsewhere, Ángel Correa came off the bench for his usual five-minute cameo, but was unable to conjure up any customary heroics. Rodrigo De Paul was neither deployed from the start or from the bench — something Atlético fans will be quite grateful for, given the amount of football he has played of late.
On the Uruguayan side, José María Giménez was the sole Atlético representative; it must have felt strange for him to suddenly be at odds with all those he is usually quick to protect. But the new Uruguay captain stepped up with four clearances, four recoveries, and a game-high 83 completed passes.
Come the full-time whistle, Giménez and Atlético’s Argentine contingent were seen gathered around and joking with midfielder Enzo Fernández, perhaps fanning the flames amid recent rumours that Atleti might be interested in signing the Chelsea star this summer. The exact words said are unknown, but given the escalating chatter around Enzo’s future, the clip will be interpreted as an effort to persuade the World Cup champion to swap London for Madrid in a few months’ time.