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.
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