Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, who oversaw the Champions League second-leg match between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid, explained the controversial penalty decision that resulted in Julián Álvarez's goal being annulled for a double touch.

"I was the one who informed the VAR team that there was a 99% chance Álvarez touched the ball twice, and they checked it thoroughly," Marciniak revealed. He also firmly denied any rumors that a Real Madrid player requested the review, stating, "It's absolutely false that Mbappé mentioned anything to me about the two touches."

Marciniak admitted it was a rare scenario in his career, saying, "Honestly, I had never encountered such a situation before," but he emphasized that "players know the rules."

UEFA later released a clarifying statement accompanied by a video showing Álvarez making contact with the ball using his support foot before the kick. "Although the contact was minimal, the player touched the ball with his support foot before kicking it, as the video shows. Under the current rule (Law 14.1), the VAR was required to alert the referee that the goal should be disallowed," the statement read.

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