Giuliano Simeone claims he was fouled in the penalty area - Photo: AP
In the early hours of May 6th, Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory against Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the 2025-2026 Champions League semi-final. This win propelled them into the final with a 2-1 aggregate victory over two legs.
However, after the match, much criticism was directed at the refereeing team, especially the German referee Daniel Siebert, for overlooking two situations that could have resulted in penalties for the visiting team, Atletico Madrid.
Atletico's first opportunity was denied in the 51st minute. Defender William Saliba made a careless header back, allowing Giuliano Simeone to intercept the ball and race down the wing.
Facing the goalkeeper and preparing to shoot, Giuliano was fouled from behind by Gabriel Magalhaes, causing him to lose his balance and shoot wide of the post.
Despite the 23-year-old striker's vehement protest, referee Siebert waved his hand to refuse to award a penalty, and VAR also remained silent.
BBC noted that Gabriel was very clever in using his arm to make just enough impact to disrupt his opponent's rhythm without committing an overly obvious foul.
But the controversy didn't stop there; it reached its peak in the 56th minute. In a scramble in the penalty area, Antoine Griezmann was preparing to take a shot when Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori kicked him directly in the supporting leg.
Referee Siebert angered the Atletico players - Photo: AFP
Instead of pointing to the penalty spot, referee Siebert blew the whistle, determining that Atletico's Marc Pubill had fouled Gabriel earlier. This rendered the collision with Griezmann meaningless. This decision sparked outrage from the Spanish media.
In an article for MARCA , referee analyst Alfonso Pérez Burrull stated: "It was a clear penalty for Griezmann. But the referee disallowed it, claiming that Pubill had committed a foul before attempting to block the shot."
Former prestigious La Liga referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez also fully sided with Atletico: "That was a tackle on the supporting leg. For me, it should have been a penalty."
Cadena SER commentator Dani Garrido was even more scathing, calling it a "serious mistake." They also accused referee Siebert of being biased towards the home team at the Emirates Stadium.
Despite the controversy surrounding them, Arsenal have finally reached the Champions League final and await their opponent from the match between PSG and Bayern Munich.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/arsenal-may-man-thoat-phat-den-hai-lan-truc-atletico-20260506083810224.htm
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