FIFA has officially removed the referees and match officials involved in the recent Champions League quarter-final second leg between Real Madrid and Arsenal. The decision followed widespread criticism over a five-minute VAR review after a dangerous tackle.
The controversy erupted in the 23rd minute when referee Francois Letexier awarded a penalty to Real Madrid, ruling that Declan Rice had fouled Kylian Mbappe in the box and also issued a yellow card to Rice. However, VAR intervened, and after a lengthy five-minute review, Letexier overturned the decision — canceling both the penalty and the booking.
This was a crucial moment in the match, as it denied Real Madrid a chance to score and allowed Rice to avoid a suspension that could have seen him miss a potential semi-final.
UEFA confirmed the decision, explaining that the review determined Rice did not commit a foul. The incident also involved an offside check, but the main reason for overturning the call was the non-foul ruling.
The delay and eventual reversal sparked backlash from commentators like Ally McCoist and Rio Ferdinand on TNT Sports. McCoist, in particular, felt relieved by the outcome and called the initial penalty “soft.”
