Real Madrid News
Barcelona midifelder weighs in on Alvarez’s disallowed penalty against Real Madrid – ‘Repeat it’
Barcelona midfielder Gavi has weighed in on one of the biggest talking points in football right now—the controversial decision to disallow Julian Alvarez’s penalty during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
The Atletico forward had initially converted his spot-kick, but VAR intervened and ruled it out.
The officials determined that Alvarez had unintentionally struck the ball twice due to a slip, which led to the decision against him.
The call sparked intense debate, as many questioned whether the ruling was fair.
Gavi’s take on the incident
When asked about the incident, Gavi remained cautious in his response. He acknowledged that it was ultimately up to the referees to make these decisions and that they were simply enforcing the existing rules.
He admitted that he was not entirely familiar with the specific regulations surrounding such situations but maintained that the match officials had the authority to make the final call.
“I don’t want to get involved. The referees are the ones who decide and they have that rule. I don’t know how that goes, but what the referee decides will have to be trusted,” he said as quoted by SPORT.
Suggesting a change
However, when pressed further on what should happen if a similar scenario were to occur in Barcelona’s upcoming clash against Atletico Madrid, the young midfielder gave a more straightforward answer.
He stated that if a player accidentally touches the ball twice while taking a penalty, the logical outcome would be to have the attempt retaken. But again, he left the final verdict in the hands of the referees.
“I don’t know very well how it goes, but I would do that: if he touches it twice, repeat the penalty. But I don’t know and let the referees decide,” he noted.
Gavi’s comments come just a day before Barcelona take on Atletico Madrid in a crucial La Liga fixture. The match carries significant weight, as both teams are among the top contenders in the race for the league title.
Beyond the three points at stake, the result could have a major impact on the title race as the season reaches its decisive phase.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
