Arsenal star Declan Rice had some choice words for a controversial penalty decision against Atletico Madrid and he now faces the possibility of being punished by UEFA
Declan Rice’s verdict on the penalty decision made by referee Danny Makkelie could land him in hot water with UEFA. Eberechi Eze thought he had won a spot-kick for the Gunners late into their Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid only for the decision to be overturned following a VAR review.
Both Mikel Arteta and Rice delivered scathing verdicts though the latter’s admission on why it may have been overturned could cause UEFA to intervene.
“Ebs’ one is a clear penalty,” Rice said. “So I don’t know how that’s not been given. I think that the fans provoked the decision and changed the ref’s mind.”
Suggesting there was bias from Makkelie may result in Rice being slapped with a punishment. The most severe and damaging to Arsenal would be a ban for the second leg with Arteta in need of his star midfielder as the European tie is finely poised at 1-1.
With all of that being said, football.london’s writers have provided their verdict on the incident – and a few others from the clash – while also listing some potential punishments.
John Cross
Gunners midfielder Declan Rice claimed on TV that the referee might have been influenced by the home crowd and, while that could imply bias under Premier League rules, it would be most unusual for UEFA to step in.
Meanwhile, Diego Simeone’s reaction on the touchline as the officials reviewed VAR footage around referee Danny Makkelie changing his mind on a penalty could potentially land him in trouble.
That would depend on the fourth official alerting the referee to the issue and him then including it in his report. UEFA may ask the VAR team for feedback after Makkelie viewed the screen footage 13 times before changing his mind.
That is out of step with VAR only getting involved in clear errors but Mikel Arteta’s post-match complaints have probably made his point ahead of the second leg.
Kieran Horn
Rice probably should not have said what he did but I do not think it constitutes a ban. Questioning the decision of an official is largely fine but going beyond that is often worthy of a fine and I believe that will be the punishment dished out, if any at all.
In all honesty, there was far worse behaviour during the clash with both Diego Simeone and Mikel Arteta very animated in their respective dugouts.
However, UEFA are better off avoiding suspensions or touchline bans entirely with chaos almost certainly ensuing over teams feeling unfairly treated.
Aaron Morris
It’s baffling that football fans and pundits alike are even speculating whether Rice’s comments on Makkelie constitute a ban, given far worse has been directed at officials in recent history. Raphinha, for example, claimed that poor officiating “robbed” Barcelona of a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League after two lacklustre legs against Atletico.
Yet there was no suggestion that the Brazilian forward should face any punishment for his scathing assessment. The fact of the matter is that emotions run high in the aftermath of football contests worldwide, and players should be commended rather than lambasted for giving their true opinions on matters.
I’m not a massive fan of censorship in footballing, and given just how media trained players and coaches are in today’s game, some answers provided in press conferences and interviews feel like they’ve been read straight off a sheet rather than coming from the heart.
We should celebrate and respect opinion, and Rice – alongside his peers – should be able to give their take, within limits, without fear of penalisation. Do we really want the beautiful game turning into some robotic sphere devoid of all raw passion and emotion? Certainly not.
Abbie Meehan
Calling for punishment for Declan Rice is a major red flag on the path football is travelling down right now. Plenty of viral moments from years past have come from managers and players alike being angry with refereeing decisions.
Harry Redknapp’s famous “Specsavers” quote from 2012 is one of many memories football fans will have of press conferences past. If the UEFA begins handing out bans for people speaking their minds, where does it end?
There’s a position to be argued regarding the protection of referees and their decision-making. But a fine line must be drawn between punishing players or managers for wrongdoing and merely letting them express how they feel about a match.
Mark Wakefield
Football is an emotional game, even more so when the stakes are as high as they are in a Champions League semi-final. Declan Rice is well within his rights to be frustrated at a key decision going against Arsenal in the closing minutes of such an important game.
To call for a ban, or any kind of punishment, for a player expressing their views is not something that should be encouraged. If that was to happen, where does it end?
I would be very surprised if Rice was given any kind of punishment by UEFA, so I fully expect the midfielder to be available for the second leg in north London next week.
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