Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo criticized the use of VAR following the controversial decision in the Champions League clash against Real Madrid, where a penalty scored by Julian Alvarez was disallowed.

“No double touch, nothing”: Cerezo questions VAR decision in Real Madrid vs Atletico

Speaking at the presentation of the IX Vicente del Bosque Youth Tournament in Villa de Alalpardo, Cerezo was outspoken about the incident that sparked debate:

“There are 50,000 photos and videos of the penalty, and there’s no sign of a double touch or anything. Either the referee or the VAR made it up,” he said.

He also reiterated his disapproval of video review technology:

“I respect and admire referees, but I don’t like VAR. It’s a tool that doesn’t fulfill its purpose. It doesn’t work when it should, and it does when it shouldn’t.”

Champions League controversy: Cerezo responds to reported VAR referee suspension

UEFA reportedly sanctioned the VAR official in that match, Polish referee Tomasz Kwiatkowski. Cerezo, however, was dismissive of the impact:

“Whether he’s sanctioned or not doesn’t matter to us. The result is already in the past.”

The controversial call occurred during the penalty shootout that decided the Champions League Round of 16. Although Alvarez scored his penalty, VAR disallowed the goal, ruling he had touched the ball twice after slipping.

Cerezo: “They counted us out, but we’re still in the fight for LaLiga”

Cerezo also addressed Atletico Madrid’s domestic campaign in LaLiga EA Sports, saying the team still believes in its title chances:

“A few days ago, people counted us out, and now we’re right back in it. We’re going to fight to win the league. The harder it gets, the better for us.”

Atletico currently sits third in the table with 60 points, seven behind leaders Barcelona and three behind second-placed Real Madrid.