La Derecha Diario Julián Álvarez's penalty: Atlético's president claims to have conclusive video
The Atlético boss, Enrique Cerezo, claims to have visual evidence proving that Julián 'doesn't touch the ball' in his disallowed penalty
Atlético de Madrid president Enrique Cerezo didn't hide his anger after his team's elimination in the Champions League quarter-finals at the hands of Real Madrid. His indignation focused on the controversial annulment of a penalty for Julián Álvarez due to an alleged double touch, a decision supported by VAR, UEFA, and IFAB. In statements to Telemundo Deportes, the rojiblanco leader described the video arbitration system as a "terrifying tool" and blamed it for thwarting the team's aspirations in the tournament.
"Until Wednesday night we were in three competitions: Champions, Copa del Rey, and La Liga. But that day, an incident with a terrifying tool, which is good for nothing but harming teams and is called VAR, thwarted one of our greatest hopes, which was to continue in the Champions," he expressed with evident frustration.
Harsh criticism of VAR and response to Courtois
Cerezo reiterated his stance against arbitration technology and stated that it is not a fair solution for football. "I don't like VAR and it's not that I'm saying it now, I've always said it. I don't criticize VAR for the mistake the other day, because it's not a referee's mistake, it's a VAR mistake. VAR is a conflicting tool, which is not safe, and instead of bringing justice, it has caused more injustice," he stated. He also claimed to have images showing that Álvarez didn't touch the ball twice in the questioned play: "I have images where Álvarez doesn't even brush the ball."
In another moment of the interview, the colchonero president replied harshly to Thibaut Courtois, who accused Atlético of playing the victim after the elimination. "Courtois's case is special. What he has to do is thank Atlético de Madrid for being here for four years, winning titles, and keep quiet," commented the rojiblanco president. He added: "We are gentlemen and we don't have to do anything against our principles. Courtois has to keep quiet, stay calm. He is a great goalkeeper, everyone recognizes it, including us. Look if we recognize it, he was with us for four years well and without any problem. What he has to do is continue as he was at Atlético: be a gentleman and a gentleman."
No formal protest to UEFA, but with an eye on new objectives
Despite the anger, Cerezo ruled out the possibility of filing a formal complaint with UEFA. "You know how UEFA and sports institutions work. The result when the match ends is what it is and no one changes it. No one has ever changed it. Why would you spend trying to protest, denounce... No one changes the result," he stated.
Finally, the leader sent a message of calm to the colchonero fans and assured that the team will continue fighting in the remaining competitions. "Atlético will fight to achieve what it has to achieve: a title. This year it has a fantastic team and a wonderful fan base. To the fans, I say that I'm the first one angry and that they have to be calm and patient because they know who we are fighting against," he concluded.
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