The Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has spoken out strongly against UEFA following Atlético de Madrid’s exit from the Champions League.
The mayor did not hold back, saying Atlético were not just playing against Arsenal, they were playing against UEFA as well.
Speaking to Carrusel Deportivo, Martínez-Almeida said he was confused when he first looked at the semi-final draw, joking that he thought Atlético had been paired with Arsenal before realising the true opponent was UEFA itself.
When I saw the draw, I thought we had been matched with Arsenal but I was wrong. We were matched with UEFA.”
The mayor was clear in his belief that UEFA had a direct hand in the outcome of the tie. He said certain moments during the game showed signs of a plan that was put in place, with the aim of making sure Atlético did not reach the final.
Martínez-Almeida said the supporters of Atlético should feel proud, not because the team played well against Arsenal, but because they held on in the face of what he described as organised pressure from UEFA. He said fans could see clearly that their club was being treated unfairly across the two legs.
He went on to say that while it may be possible to overcome Arsenal over 180 minutes of football, no team can overcome UEFA when the organisation has decided on a result in advance. In his view, the referee was simply the tool used to carry out UEFA’s decision.
You can beat Arsenal over 180 minutes, but you cannot beat UEFA. The referee was the executor of that will.”
Atlético de Madrid’s were eliminated in the Semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League losing 1-0 to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in London.
The Referee decisions across both legs drew heavy criticism from Atlético’s players, coaching staff, and supporters, with many pointing to key moments they felt went against the club without proper justification.
The mayor’s comments are among the strongest made by any public official in connection with the tie. By accusing UEFA of using its “entire machinery” to stop Atlético from progressing.
Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone acknowledged that they couldn’t blame the refereeing for their weak attacking performance, as they managed only five shots, two of which were on target.
Nevertheless, both Atlético players and part of the Spanish press have highlighted three possible penalty incidents involving Arsenal that they feel might have altered the match’s outcome. Two of these centered on potential fouls on Giuliano Simeone, one by Riccardo Calafiori and another by Gabriel Magalhães. VAR did not intervene in the first case, and the second was dismissed as not a penalty.
The most disputed moment occurred when Calafiori appeared to step on Antoine Griezmann inside the box, an action many would typically expect to lead to a penalty. However, the referee overturned it, ruling that Atlético defender Marc Pubill had fouled Gabriel earlier in the same passage of play. Many argue that VAR should have recommended the referee take another look at that earlier incident, as the alleged foul by Pubill seemed highly dubious.