Arsenal were furious after they were not awarded a penalty against Atletico Madrid in the second half of their Champions League semi-final first leg. Los Colchoneros drew level in the period, but the controversial moment came when the referee opted to reverse his decision on a penalty given for a perceived foul on Eberechi Eze following a VAR review.
Mikel Arteta was ‘very angry’ about the decision not to give the spot kick, while Atletico’s players were unanimous in declaring that the referee had got the call right. Diego Simeone preferred to shift the focus to Arsenal’s first penalty, believing that it was not sufficient for a penalty. Meanwhile Declan Rice claimed that the Metropolitano had had an impact on the VAR officials in Switzerland.
🚨⚠️ Declan Rice: “Eberechi Eze’s one is a clear penalty. I don’t know how that’s not been given”.
“I think the fans provoked the decision and changed the referee’s mind”. pic.twitter.com/O9n1QedOcc
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 30, 2026
Piero Hincapie: ‘It’s a very clear mistake’
Defender Piero Hincapie did not place emphasis on the impact of the Metropolitano, but he had little doubt in declaring that it was a clear error from the referee.
“It’s a bit… The penalty they didn’t give, it was very clear. And that’s it, positive result,” Hincapie told Movistar+, clearly frustrated.
“It’s a bit… The penalty they didn’t give, it was very clear. And that’s it, positive result.”
“Yes, clearly the referee made a mistake. It was a very clear penalty, but we continue, and we hope they go our way on other occasions.”
🗣️Piero Hincapie pic.twitter.com/TDb8POMlST
— Football España (@footballespana_) April 30, 2026
“Yes, clearly the referee made a mistake. It was a very clear penalty, but we continue, and we hope they go our way on other occasions.”
Viktor Gyokeres: ‘It will be different in the second leg’
Forward Viktor Gyokeres also spoke to the media after the game, telling TNT Sports that they did well in the first half but lost control in the second.
“I think in think in the first half, we controlled the game quite well, and we had a few good opportunities to score. We managed to score one, to get the goal, and then in the second half they started much better. They got a goal eventually, and towards the end we got a few ok chances, but it’s a tough game, we knew it would be a tough place to come.”
“It looks like there was contact, but it’s their decision.” 🎙️
Viktor Gyokeres reacts to the overturned penalty.
Watch live on TNT Sports and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/cEDqy0tPDD
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 29, 2026
He too was a little miffed at the decision not to give Eze a penalty.
“I didn’t see theirs, so difficult to say, but yeah, it’s football. I don’t know why they turned [Eze’s appeal] down, it looks like there’s contact, but it’s their decision.”
In terms of Arsenal’s response to Atletico Madrid’s strong start in the second half, Gyokeres felt that the Emirates will be a different game.
“Yeah, it was not very easy. Of course they have the crowd here. We always try to play and get the momentum back that we had in the first half, and got it back a bit late on, but it’s a tough second half. We know it will be different with our fans in the second leg, and we know we have to do our job, be at our best, and it’s going to be a good game at home.”
The second leg kicks off at 21:00 CEST in London next Tuesday. Los Colchoneros are looking to make their fourth ever final, while both sides are seeking their first ever victory in the competition.
