FIFA has officially announced the dismissal of the officials and referees from the recent Real Madrid vs Arsenal match. This decision comes after the referee took five minutes to come to a decision following a dangerous tackle
A dramatic turn of events unfolded during the first half of the Champions League quarter-final second leg between Arsenal and Real Madrid, as VAR intervened to overturn a penalty awarded to the Spanish giants. The incident occurred in the 23rd minute, when referee Francois Letexier initially ruled that Declan Rice had committed a foul on Kylian Mbappe in the box, awarding a penalty and booking Rice in the process.
However, following a meticulous five-minute VAR review, Letexier reversed his decision, rescinding the penalty and removing the yellow card issued to Rice. This pivotal decision not only denied Real Madrid a potential scoring opportunity but also spared Rice a suspension that would have ruled him out of the first leg of the semi-final should Arsenal advance.
The VAR review scrutinized the incident from multiple angles, including a potential offside, but ultimately determined that Rice had not committed a foul. UEFA subsequently released a statement confirming the decision, citing that the penalty was overturned due to a non-foul by Declan Rice.
The prolonged VAR review drew criticism from commentators Ally McCoist and Rio Ferdinand on TNT Sports, who expressed frustration with the VAR process. McCoist was particularly vocal about his relief that the penalty was overturned, describing the initial call as dubious and expressing satisfaction that Rice avoided a yellow card. “I’m putting my cards on the table right now – I am delighted to see that decision,” McCoist remarked, underscoring the significance of the overturned call.
