UEFA has made a decision regarding Tomasz Kwiatkowski, the referee who disallowed Julian Alvarez’s penalty in the Champions League match against Real Madrid.
Nearly a month after Atletico Madrid’s controversial elimination at the hands of Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16, UEFA appears to have taken action against VAR referee Tomasz Kwiatkowski. The official, who overturned Julian Alvarez’s penalty during the shootout, has been conspicuously absent from his usual duties.
Kwiatkowski was notably left out of the officiating team for the Europa League quarterfinal first-leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Eintracht Frankfurt. That match will be overseen by his compatriot, Szymon Marciniak, with Spanish official Alejandro Hernández stepping in as the VAR assistant—a role Kwiatkowski usually holds.
Spanish outlet AS reported that this marks the first time since the 2022 Qatar World Cup that Kwiatkowski has not worked alongside Marciniak in an international match. The change has fueled speculation that UEFA’s decision is either a punishment for the controversial call or an effort to shield Kwiatkowski from the ongoing backlash.
UEFA had initially stood by the referee, releasing a statement supporting him the day after Real Madrid’s victory. However, analysts like Pavel Fernandez from Radio Marca remain skeptical, questioning the motive behind removing Kwiatkowski. “It’s curious that Kwiatkowski is out of the equation when the usual way to protect him would’ve been assigning him the game,” Fernandez remarked.
UEFA considers rule change for penalty incidents
In a related development, UEFA confirmed that Atletico Madrid reached out to discuss the incident surrounding Alvarez’s penalty. According to UEFA, Alvarez’s planted foot made contact with the ball just before his kick—a violation under current rules (Law 14.1).
UEFA acknowledged the call was correct but admitted the incident has sparked broader discussions. “Although minimal, the player’s planted foot made contact with the ball before the shot, as shown in the attached video. Under the current rule, VAR had to inform the referee to disallow the goal,” read UEFA’s statement. The organization plans to engage FIFA and IFAB to explore whether the rule should be revised for cases where such double touches are clearly unintentional.
Controversy over alleged video tampering
Adding fuel to the fire, a report surfaced earlier this month alleging that the video used to confirm Alvarez’s double touch had been tampered with. Jose Luis Rivas, an expert hired by Atletico Madrid’s fan organization, analyzed the footage and claimed the video was altered.
“The footage from one camera is not the original. While we can’t assert bad faith, it’s evident the video is edited,” Rivas told Cadena SER. He then explained discrepancies in the footage’s entropy—a technical term referring to the consistency of data patterns.
“When comparing the TV broadcast to the footage provided by UEFA, it’s clear that one shows uniform entropy while the other fluctuates. It’s not the original feed,” he concluded.
From: bolavip.com
