Barcelona star Gavi comments on Julian Alvarez penalty controversy during Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid

Barcelona midfielder Gavi has called for the acceptance of referees' decisions in matches. His comments were in response to a question asked by an interviewer on Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez's ruled out penalty in the Champions League against Real Madrid (March 12).

After a blockbuster 2-2 aggregate scoreline between Real and Atletico in the UCL Round of 16, the game headed for a penalty shootout. However, Alvarez's spot-kick was disallowed after a VAR review as it appeared that he made double contact with the ball.

Speaking in an interview ahead of Barcelona's LaLiga encounter with Atletico Madrid this weekend, Gavi shared his thoughts about the situation. He told Movistar (via Barca Blaugranes):

"The referees are the ones who decide and they have that rule. I don’t know how it works, but whatever the referee decides, we’ll have to trust it."

He added:

"I don’t know exactly how it goes, but I would do this: if he touches it twice, I would retake the penalty. But I don’t know, and let the referees decide."

However, UEFA have revealed that there are plans to review the rule. They hinted that an unintended double touch during a penalty could be overlooked in the future.

Who are Barcelona playing in LaLiga this weekend?

FC Barcelona v SL Benfica - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 Second Leg - Source: Getty

La Blaugrana will take on Atletico Madrid in their next LaLiga game. The encounter is slated for Sunday (March 16) at the Metropolitano Stadium in the Spanish capital.

Barca have been clinical of late and are yet to be defeated this calendar year. Hansi Flick's men have re-established themselves as the league leaders following a slight drop-off late last year. Barca have accumulated 57 points from 26 league games this season. Atletico have been outstanding as well and find themselves in third place with 56 points from 27 games.

Given the importance of this match in the title race, both sides will be eager to put their best foot forward. The Catalan giants have the advantage in the head-to-head record, winning three of their last five meetings.