Ex-FIFA referee and former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has dropped his verdict on one of the more controversial moments during Arsenal's win over Atletico Madrid. The Gunners booked their spot in the Champions League final this week, with a 1-0 home win in the second leg.
Penalties from Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvarez had seen the first leg end in a 1-1 draw in Spain, leaving all to play for at the Emirates on Tuesday night. The home team were able to take a lead in the 44th minute, with Bukayo Saka bundling the ball into the back of the net after Leandro Trossard's initial effort was saved.
This proved to be enough as Mikel Arteta's men clung on to a 2-1 aggregate lead to make their first Champions League final since 2006, where they lost 2-1 to Barcelona in Paris. Naturally, as the game was so tight, a few refereeing incidents have sparked plenty of post-game discussion.
Gabriel Avoids Red Card For Last-Man Challenge on Guiliano Simeone
One of the more notable incidents came in the 51st minute, when Guiliano Simeone pounced on William Saliba’s error to round David Raya. It looked as though he would be able to poke the ball home but Gabriel came across and did just enough to put off the Atletico player.
Simeone and his teammates, as well as father and manager Diego Simeone, were convinced that he was brought down unfairly. This would have resulted in a penalty and quite possibly a red card as well, for the denial of a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
Referee Daniel Siebert was unmoved, though, and his decision was upheld after a VAR review. Ex-FIFA referee Hackett has now given his thoughts on the matter, agreeing with the on-field call, claiming there was “insufficient evidence” to justify a foul:
“This is certainly very untidy defending by Gabriel, who puts his left arm on the shoulder of his opponent.
“I do not believe that contact is sufficient to award a penalty kick followed by a red card for the obvious denial of a goal-scoring opportunity, when Simeone feels the arm, he starts to lean backwards into his opponent.
“VAR then has to look closely at the ongoing challenge where the feet of Gabriel came into contact with his opponent.
“VAR have reviewed this, and there is insufficient evidence to award a penalty kick and to issue a red card for DOGSO.”
Diego Simeone Reacts to Referee and VAR vs Arsenal
Diego Simeone
This wasn't the only big shout for Atletico during the game, as Antoine Griezmann claimed a penalty after falling to the turf following a challenge from Riccardo Calafiori. On that occasion, Siebert had already called a foul by Marc Pubill on Gabriel, so VAR logically did not intervene.
Speaking to the press after the game, Simeone accepted the refereeing decisions without great complaint. He said: "I won't focus on something simple like the Griezmann incident. It's obvious, it was a foul. The referee said there was a foul by Marc [Pubill] on one of their players. I won't focus on that. It would be an excuse, and I don't want to make excuses.
"We got to a place nobody imagined, competing with a team with incredible power. I feel proud to be where I am. In preseason, when the team was presented, I said we'd compete. And we competed. Unfortunately, we haven't won anything, but we've gotten to places it isn't easy to get to."
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone reacts vs Liverpool Related
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An 11-year working relationship out the window.
In another interview, he also refused to blame the referee for his team's exit: "Controversies? Nothing to say, we’re out. Congratulations to Arsenal because they compete very well. They have a team and a coach that I like. They follow a coherent project with strong financial backing. Congratulations to them, and we focus on our work." He added: "If we got knocked out, it's because our opponents deserved to get through. They took their chances, including their big chance in the first half, and they deserved to get through. If you ask me how I feel, I feel calm and peaceful. The team gave absolutely everything."
Arsenal will now play either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on 30 May.