UEFA issued a statement supporting the decision of Real Madrid referee François Lotexier to overturn a penalty kick awarded to the club during the match between Real Madrid and Arsenal.
The French referee needed to consult VAR to review his penalty award to Kylian Mbappé in the 23rd minute after a foul by Declan Rice.
Ultimately, Lotexier’s decision to overturn the penalty kick sparked considerable controversy, as Real Madrid fans believed it was a penalty awarded to Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
UEFA immediately issued a statement supporting the referee’s decision and justifying it.
The statement stated that a review of the footage revealed that Rice had not committed enough of a penalty kick and that there was virtually no contact between him and Mbappé.
It should be noted that the referee awarded a penalty kick to Arsenal before that in the tenth minute, which was also controversial, but Bukayo Saka failed to score and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved it.
الحكم يلغي قراره بمنح ركلة جزاء لريال مدريد بعد مراجعة تقنية الفيديو ✖️#دوري_أبطال_أوروبا #ريال_مدريد_آرسنال pic.twitter.com/cS7xqGOpWG
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) April 16, 2025
