Arteta: “It is a clear penalty for Eze and that they have to review it 13 times at this level seems unacceptable to me”

The Arsenal FC coach, Mikel Arteta, saw a “clear penalty” in the incident between Dávid Hancko and Eberechi Eze in the 79th minute of their Champions League semi-final against Atlético de Madrid, stating that “reviewing it 13 times at this level” seems “unacceptable” to him, as a result of the VAR consultation having annulled that decision with a 1-1 scoreline.

“I accept it and if we go to the book and what they explained to us at the beginning… really. It is difficult to understand because in the Premier, for example, Ben White’s handball is not a penalty, but in UEFA it is and we know it. Okay, that’s it, there is a criterion and someone has made that decision,” Arteta said this Wednesday in his press conference from the Riyadh Air Metropolitano at the end of this semi-final first leg.

“I don’t understand what happens next with ‘Ebs’. It is a clear penalty, there is contact and that they take that to the VAR and that they have to review it 13 times to remove the penalty at this level seems unacceptable to me,” added the ‘Gunner’ coach, visibly angry.

“I think there have been moments. The first thing to say is that it is a privilege and a pleasure to play in an environment like this. I think that what they generate in this stadium, the energy, the passion with which everyone comes to the field is an impressive thing. It has been incredible to play. We have had moments where we have been superior, we have dominated. It is true that we have not materialized more situations to score another goal. Then we have had a period of 15 or 20 minutes in the second half where we have not been good, due to their merits and due to their demerit. ours,” he added.

“It is true that the game ended in a different way after the changes, where we were once again the team we wanted to be. It is what it is. It could have been different. I have already spoken about the decision, which in my opinion changes the game. But it is true that there are two of their situations and two of ours within the area, which could also go either way. So nothing, to risk everything in London, to prepare. We are risking our lives now with Fulham on Saturday to win the Premier. And after that we will begin to prepare the second part of the week,” he predicted about the immediate future.

“It has been our daily bread for ten months for us, four competitions. If in the end you want to win the Premier League and you want to be in the Champions League final, you have to go through that. I incredibly value the effort the players are giving, how they are performing and we have had many casualties and we continue to have casualties, but we will be there on Saturday and we will be there again for sure on Tuesday,” he said.

“Unfortunately in the second half we started a little sloppy, with several mistakes that gave them momentum and that was the moment they took advantage of it. It’s something we knew we would have to face,” he added.

He then went on to analyze the key use of VAR. “I don’t know. That’s their job. They have a process and whatever they do, I think it’s the right thing to do. I have nothing to say. I’m just judging the play, the way it happened and how it was annulled,” Arteta stressed.

“When you have fought so hard for nine months to be in this position, that is another goal that would have changed everything over time. It cannot happen. I’m sorry, we have put so much into this, so much that this cannot happen,” he reiterated about the penalty that was finally annulled.

“I am not here to judge the process, it is their process, it is a clear decision. We have to abide by it because that is the rules, that is what we have been teaching the players, to accept it. When there is something different when playing a Champions League semi-final and it is changed, that cannot happen,” Arteta concluded in reference to the first leg in the other ‘semi’ of the tournament between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern Munich.