Atletico Madrid News
Alvaro Morata, Axel Witsel, Koke hit out at referees after Real Sociedad 1-1 Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid’s mixed start to the new season continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Real Sociedad away at the Reale Stadium on Saturday.
Los Rojiblancos started the game well, with Alvaro Morata finding the back of the net just five minutes to put them in front. However, a controversial goal from Umar Sadiq ten minutes into the second half allowed La Real to salvage a point from the fixture.
The equalising goal and the refereeing decision have come under much scrutiny as Sadiq appeared to have handled the ball before it ended up in the back of the net.
However, the VAR chose not to intervene despite having not given Atletico Madrid a goal in the first half when the ball had hit Joao Felix’s hand before Morata sent it into the net.
Atletico Madrid were unhappy with the calls made and Morata took aim at the officiating and the VAR for their decisions.
“It happens so fast on the pitch that it’s almost impossible to see, we understand that, but there are also people in the VAR room, and it’s all based on criteria. These aren’t decisions that are made as they explained it to us, it’s up to their criteria,” he said.
“On the pitch, you can’t see much. In the end, we can’t do anything and we just have to play and accept what happens because nothing will change. They won’t change anything that happened,” he added.
Axel Witsel also chimed in on the officiating on the night, saying: “We played a good game today, as a whole.
“I think that getting just one point was a shame because in the goal that we conceded, based on the video replay, I think the attacker used his hand to score – first his head, then his hand. We deserved more than a point.”
Atletico Madrid captain Koke was also critical of the decisions made by the match officials, as he said: “The team made a great effort, I think we deserved a lot more. We were penalized by details.
“I think their goal was scored with the hand. They [the referees] come to give us chats, then later they do the opposite. It’s happened in several games, but that’s football…”
Source: Atletico Madrid YouTube
Atletico Madrid News
UEFA open investigation against multiple Real Madrid players over celebration vs Atletico
More than two weeks after Real Madrid’s controversial win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16, UEFA has sent quite the shockwave to the defending European champions.
In a recent statement, UEFA has announced they have started an open investigation against a series of Real Madrid players for the way they celebrated after winning against Atletico Madrid, about two weeks back.
What is the investigation about?
As reported by MARCA, the European governing body is specifically looking into the actions of Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Dani Ceballos, and Vinicius Jr.
The controversy stems from Real Madrid’s celebrations after knocking out city rivals Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
The celebrations took place near the section of the stadium occupied by Real Madrid supporters, but some actions by the players have drawn scrutiny.
“A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of indecent conduct by Real Madrid CF players (Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Daniel Ceballos Fernandez and Vinicius Junior) during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 match between Club Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid on 12 March 2025,” UEFA said in an official statement.
Rudiger is being investigated for a gesture in which he placed his hand around his neck, while Mbappe reportedly made an inappropriate gesture by touching his genitals.
Vinicius, on the other hand, was involved in heated interactions with Atletico fans both before and after the match, while Ceballos was seen enthusiastically joining the celebrations.
The celebrations from Real Madrid players drew hostility from Atletico Madrid fans for obvious reasons, with the opposition fans resorting to throwing bottles on the pitch.
Jude Bellingham was even among the ones hit by these throwing objects from Atleti fans while Vinicius pointed to the Real Madrid crest on his shirt, which might have played a role in further fuming tension.
Rodrygo, on the other hand, responded to the hostility from Atleti fans by dancing inside the pitch.
UEFA has appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to review the incidents, although it is very much likely that Real Madrid would appeal against any sanctions placed on the event of any breach.
