By elvisoscaryoung090@gmail.com | April 16, 2025
In a tense second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final at the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid’s attempt to overturn a 3-0 first-leg loss to Arsenal was marred by a highly debated VAR decision that has stirred controversy across the football world.
The flashpoint came in the 23rd minute when Kylian Mbappé appeared to be fouled in the box by Arsenal’s Declan Rice. Referee François Letexier initially awarded a penalty and booked Rice. However, after a lengthy five-minute VAR check and a review at the pitchside monitor, Letexier reversed the decision, ruling there wasn’t enough contact to justify the foul. Rice’s yellow card was also revoked, keeping him eligible for Arsenal’s potential semi-final against PSG.
UEFA issued a brief statement on the matter: “The penalty for Real Madrid has been taken away due to a non-foul by Declan Rice.” This did little to ease the anger of Real Madrid fans, many of whom voiced their displeasure on social media.
Earlier in the match, Arsenal had been awarded a penalty after Mikel Merino was fouled by Raúl Asencio. However, Bukayo Saka’s attempt from the spot was denied by Thibaut Courtois. The differing calls led football pundit Stuart Pearce to question the consistency: “On its own, that’s not a penalty. But considering what was given earlier, it’s hard to justify overturning this one.”
The incident has once again sparked concerns over VAR’s reliability and the clarity of its decisions in crucial matches. UEFA now faces mounting pressure to demonstrate consistency and transparency in officiating.
