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Mbappe didn't made me do it, it was me, says Madrid's derby referee
Reading Time: 3min | Fri. 14.03.25. | 23:29
The referee of the derby between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid spoke out after the controversial decision and accusations he received
The disallowed penalty by Julian Alvarez, due to an alleged double contact with the ball during the Champions League Round of 16 shootout between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, has sparked controversy in the global football community.
The uproar has reached such levels that top UEFA and FIFA officials are now considering a rule change regarding these situations—specifically, whether goals should always be disallowed in cases like this or if exceptions could be made when it is clear the player had no intent to play the ball twice.
Polish referee Szymon Marciniak has faced the most criticism, with accusations that he was influenced by Kylian Mbappe’s gestures and protests, essentially claiming that the French star alerted the officials to the rule violation.
“That’s completely false. I was the one who informed the VAR officials that there was a 99% chance Alvarez had a double touch on the ball, and they reviewed it. To be honest, I’ve never encountered a situation like this in my refereeing career, but the players know the rules,” Marciniak told Win Win portal.
🚨 Marciniak, Match Referee: “I was the one who told the VAR that there was a 99% probability that Alvarez touched the ball twice and they checked it thoroughly.”
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) March 13, 2025
“It is absolutely false that Mbappé told me anything about two touches.” @winwinallsports pic.twitter.com/0c0JnGTPRF
UEFA strongly backed one of its top referees and released a video showing the minimal contact made by Alvarez’s standing foot just before striking the ball toward Thibaut Courtois' goal.
“The player made contact with the ball using his standing foot before taking the shot, as shown in the provided footage. According to the current rule (Laws of the Game, Rule 14.1), VAR had to alert the referee that the goal should be disallowed,” UEFA’s statement read. However, they also confirmed that the rule itself would be reviewed.
Additionally, UEFA emphasized that the review of the goal was not initiated at Real Madrid’s request, but rather because the VAR room identified a possible infraction—though Marciniak claimed it happened the other way around.
The law that saw Julian Alvarez’s penalty controversially ruled out against Real Madrid could be reviewed with UEFA releasing a new video of the spot kick.
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) March 13, 2025
"UEFA will enter discussions with FIFA and IFAB to determine whether the rule should be reviewed in cases where a double… pic.twitter.com/xnnorVwS3b
Regardless, the decision is final—Real Madrid has advanced to the quarterfinals, while Atletico, despite playing the better football, has been eliminated from the competition. However, this controversial moment may go down in history as a key incident that could lead to a change in football’s rules.
LA LIGA MATCHDAY 28
Friday
23:00: (2.85) Las Palmas (2.95) Alaves (2.75)
Saturday
16:00: (5.30) Valladolid (3.60) Celta (1.70)
18:15: (1.85) Mallorca (3.40) Espanyol (4.60)
20:30: (3.15) Villareal (3.75) Real Madrid (2.15)
23:00: (2.05) Girona (3.50) Valencia (4.00)
Sunday
16:00: (3.80) Leganes (3.35) Betis (2.05)
18:15: (3.15) Sevilla (3.20) Ath.Bilbao (2.55)
20:30: (2.40) Osasuna (2.90) Getafe (3.45)
20:30: (2.55) Rayo Vallecano (3.15) Sociedad (3.20)
23:00: (3.30) Atl.Madrid (3.60) Barcelona (2.25)
***odds are subject to change***
