Atletico CEO still furious over Real Madrid VAR controversy in UCL exit – ‘Was difficult for me to sleep’ | OneFootball

Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin has reignited the debate surrounding his club’s controversial UEFA Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid.

In a passionate and revealing interview with Atletico Madrid, Gil Marin admitted that the “clear refereeing error” involving a disallowed penalty for Julian Alvarez in the second leg of the round of 16 clash had long-lasting consequences for the team – both emotionally and competitively.

“The team competed very well until the week of the Champions League match against Real Madrid.”

“The match against Madrid, with a clear refereeing error, marked the mood of players, coaches and fans for the rest of the season,” Gil Marin stated on the club’s official website.

Pointing at the referee

He further explained that the controversial moment left the entire Atletico camp demoralised.

Referee Szymon Marciniak, under instruction from VAR, overturned what many saw as a legitimate penalty during the decisive shootout.

“From that day on, my obsession was to try to lift the spirits of the players, coach, co-workers, president and myself, to avoid even greater damage that would affect the rest of the competitions in which we were still competing.”

That moment effectively eliminated Atletico from the competition and sparked outrage across the red-and-white half of Madrid.

Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid on penalties. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

“It was difficult for me to fall asleep because of the anger I felt, but my position at the club forced me to weigh any decision,” Gil admitted, adding that his immediate priority became lifting the spirits of the players, coaching staff, and even himself in the aftermath.

Gil also pointed out that the emotional toll was evident even before the clash with Real Madrid.

The team’s prior match against Getafe, where they suffered a last-minute 2-1 defeat, already indicated a distracted squad with one eye on the upcoming derby.

Atletico Madrid’s complaint

Following the controversial incident, Atletico reportedly contacted UEFA demanding clarity. UEFA, in turn, sought a rule interpretation from IFAB. While Gil appreciated the transparency, he acknowledged it didn’t undo the damage.

“I am aware that urging clarification of the interpretation of the rule, as IFAB did at the request of UEFA, does not compensate for the damage caused, but I am not in favour of prosecuting errors.

“I believe more in working to improve our sector from within. We have just seen in the Women’s European Championship a play in which it was decided to repeat the penalty.

“Does it relieve us Atlético? Of course not, but that’s how you build better football,”

“Football is a sport of successes and mistakes. Only those who make decisions are right and wrong: players, coaches, referees and managers,” he concluded.