Arsenal's place in the final is secured. However, the controversy did not end after the match. David Beckham expressed strong dissatisfaction over a moment when Atlético Madrid was not awarded a penalty.
Arsenal beat Atlético Madrid 1-0 in the second leg of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League semifinals at Emirates Stadium in London at 4 a.m. on the 6th (Korea time). Bukayo Saka's late first-half winning goal decided the outcome. Arsenal tasted the joy of reaching the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years.
But from Atlético's perspective there was an incident that inevitably left a sense of injustice. In the early part of the first half, inside the penalty box there was a situation in which Ricardo Calafiori appeared to step on Antoine Griezmann's foot. It was a scene that could be seen as clear contact. However, referee Danielle Siebert did not award a penalty kick.
The reason was the immediately preceding situation. Before the contest between Calafiori and Griezmann occurred, the referee judged that Marc Pubill had fouled Gabriel Magalhães. Atlético's attack was treated as already stopped. Therefore, the subsequent incident was not subject to penalty review.
Beckham could not hold back at that decision. Beckham reacted strongly while watching the clip on CBS Sports' Beckham & Friends program. He said, "My goodness. That is not a foul. That is not a foul," directly criticizing the referee's decision.
Beckham's argument was clear. Gabriel was not in a situation to have earned a foul first, and if so, Calafiori's subsequent contact with Griezmann should have resulted in a penalty. He emphasized of Calafiori's incident, "This is correct. It was not a foul against Gabriel." He meant that Atlético should have been awarded a penalty.
Actor Tom Hiddleston, who appeared with him, also fueled the controversy. He argued that Calafiori's incident with Griezmann was the "same motion" as the one in the first leg when Everecie Eze was fouled but a penalty was not awarded.
But Beckham drew the line on that comparison. He replied, "Well, I didn't think that incident was a penalty. I don't think he even touched the opponent." In other words, what Beckham took issue with was not the Eze incident. It was the moment in this match when Gabriel's foul was called first, and immediately after that Griezmann suffered contact inside the box.
It was a painful decision for Atlético. If a penalty had been given early in the match, the flow could have been completely different. Arsenal had not yet seized control at home, and Atlético could have had a perfect chance to score the opener away. But the referee's whistle went in Arsenal's favor, not Atlético's.
Of course, Atlético did not show a dominant performance over the entire match. They had only two shots on target in the second leg and just five total shots. By contrast, Arsenal created more opportunities and held on to Saka's goal until the end. But in a Champions League semifinal second leg that is almost a single-elimination match, whether an early penalty is awarded is by no means a small matter.
In the end Arsenal smiled. They secured a ticket to the final with Saka's strike and solid defense. But Atlético left London disappointed with the decision. Beckham's strong reaction also showed how contentious the incident was. The winner was Arsenal. But the refereeing controversy will inevitably linger long after the joy of reaching the final.
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