“Put your hand up if you spotted the double touch!” the fiery Diego Simeone had asked during his post-match press conference following Atlético de Madrid’s nerve-wracking penalty defeat to Real Madrid. Fast forward two days, and it seems that Szymon Marciniak, the Polish referee who officiated that tightly-contested affair at the Metropolitano, is now figuratively raising his own hand. In a recent interview with the website Win Win, he commented, “Did Mbappé tell the referees that Álvarez had touched the ball twice? That is simply not true. I was the one who notified the VAR officials that there was a 99% chance Álvarez had committed a double touch, and they examined the situation closely.”
This intriguing revelation adds yet another layer to the ongoing debate surrounding the controversial moments of the match. The decisions made on the pitch and those scrutinised by VAR continue to be hot topics among fans and analysts alike, sparking discussions about the integrity of officiating in high-stakes encounters. As we look ahead, one can’t help but wonder how this will influence both teams moving forward in the Champions League.
Resource: Sport Mediaset