Diego Simeone said it’s “hard to understand” the laws around handballs after admitting his Atlético Madrid team should have conceded a penalty in their 3-0 LaLiga win at Valencia on Saturday.
Early in the second half at Mestalla — with Atletico leading 2-0 thanks to a Julián Álvarez brace — Valencia forward Umar Sadiq‘s goal-bound header struck defender Javi Galán‘s hand.
The officials decided against awarding a penalty, and Atlético went on to take all three points.
Speaking after the game, Simeone admitted he was baffled by the decision, referring to a similar incident involving Spain‘s Marc Cucurella against Germany in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals, which UEFA later admitted should have been a spot-kick.
“They just showed me the pictures of the penalty,” Simeone said. “It’s the same as in the Euros [with Cucurella]. It hit his hand. I don’t understand it at all.
“At the Euros, it was a penalty. But now they say his arm was down, by his side … But the ball hits his hand. I don’t know. Let’s hope it’s clearer, because it’s hard to understand. One day it’s a penalty and another it isn’t.”
In the Euro 2024 game, referee Anthony Taylor didn’t award a penalty when Jamal Musiala‘s shot hit Cucurella’s arm, a decision which UEFA’s Referee Committee later said was incorrect.
“I don’t have to say it. [Simeone] said it,” Valencia’s Iván Jaime said. “I’ve seen it. It’s a clear handball, it’s going towards the goal.”
Atlético’s win saw them remain just a point behind Barcelona at the top of the LaLiga table.
Spain’s referees have been in the spotlight in the last few weeks, with Atlético’s rivals Real Madrid complaining about a series of alleged errors in their recent games.