Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso goal disallowed vs. Real Madrid by VAR, but was there a handball? Tuchel, experts have their say
Chelsea produced one of the greatest away Champions League performances in their history as Thomas Tuchel’s side completely flipped their quarterfinal series at Real Madrid. But the Blues ultimately fell short and were eliminated from the competition after extra time.
Despite trailing 3-1 from the first leg at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel called on his players to write a new chapter of history in Madrid, and his stars responded.
Goals either side of the break from Mason Mount and Antonio Rudiger leveled the series on aggregate, but they were followed by one of the turning points as the visitors sought to take control of the series in the Spanish capital.
The main moment of controversy came on 61 minutes, as Marcos Alonso’s piledriver was eventually ruled out following video review at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
MORE: Real Madrid vs. Chelsea updates & highlights
The Alonso goal could have momentarily put Chelsea up 4-3 on aggregate and dealt Real Madrid a serious blow to their hopes of pulling through.
Watch the goal in the USA:
MARCOS ALONSO. AGAINST HIS FORMER CLUB. BUT IT’S RULED OUT. pic.twitter.com/OBYIn1FBTC
— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 12, 2022
Watch the goal in the UK:
Chelsea thought they had gone ahead in the tie…
But after a VAR review, it was judged Marcos Alonso handled the ball in the build-up to scoring
Harsh or fair?#UCL pic.twitter.com/WYVjIN9ppw
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 12, 2022
Why was the Alonso goal ruled out?
As the traveling Chelsea fans celebrated high up in the stands, referee Szymon Marciniak was immediately signaled by the VAR to consult the video due to a possible handball against Alonso before his shot into the top corner.
Replays seemed to hint that the ball touched Alonso’s hand in the Real Madrid box. The force of N’Golo Kante’s pass into him sent the ball ricocheting up and possibly onto the Spaniard’s hand.
Marciniak made his decision within less than 60 seconds of consulting the pitchside monitor before ruling the goal out.
The Alonso goal would have put Chelsea up 3-0 in the match and 4-3 on aggregate. With Chelsea’s Timo Werner also later finding the back of the net in the 75th minute, Chelsea’s total goals across both legs would have seen them advance to the semifinals after 90 minutes of regulation.
But since the score stayed at 2-0 (3-3 on aggregate) after Alonso’s goal was disallowed, the next two goals by Chelsea’s Timo Werner and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, made it 3-1 in the match. That mirrored the first leg result, thus sending the series into extra time where Karim Benzema scored again to knock Chelsea out.
Here’s the sequence of goals in the second leg (aggregate goal total in parentheses after Real Madrid’s first-leg victory):
- 15th min.: Mason Mount (Real Madrid 3, Chelsea 2 on agg.)
- 51st min.: Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid 3, Chelsea 3 on agg.)
61st min.: Marcos Alonso (Chelsea 4, Real Madrid 3 on agg.)- 75th min.: Timo Werner (Chelsea 4, Real Madrid 3 on agg.)
- 80th min.: Rodrygo (Real Madrid 4, Chelsea 4 on agg.)
- 96th min.: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid 5, Chelsea 4 on agg.)
What is the handball rule in the Laws of the Game?
On the BT Sports coverage of the match in the UK, former Premier League referee Peter Walton was not so sure about the call in the immediate aftermath and before the match referee made his final decision:
“We know the Law says that if the ball touches the hand, even if it’s accidental, the goal is disallowed — if it’s by the goalscorer.
“Looking at the pictures here, I can’t see the clear evidence required for the VAR to overturn this goal. Whether or not they’re looking at different angles, I don’t know, but at the moment, I think this goal should stand.”
Christina Unkel, a VAR-certified professional referee and past FIFA referee who has been officiating soccer for 21 years, provided her analysis of the incident for CBS Sports in the USA.
“This was an obvious one for us as officials,” Unkel said. “It’s 100 percent correct to overturn this with VAR and to recommend for no goal.
“That slight touch on his right hand is a reminder that the Law states and indicates that a goal that is scored directly or immediately after a handling offense by that attacker will be negated and is not a good goal.
“Some would argue that this was a little bit unjust, but this was the correct call on this one.”
Page 98 of the 2021-22 Laws of the Game states that:
It is an offence if a player … scores in the opponents’ goal:
- directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper
- immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental.
What did Tuchel say after the match?
Here’s what Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is reported to have said in the aftermath of the match:
Tuchel: “We deserved to go through after this match today. It was not meant to be.” #CFC #UCL
— Bobby Vincent (@BobbyVincentFL) April 12, 2022
Tuchel on the referee: “I was disappointed to see the referee smiling and laughing with the opponents’s coach. I think this is the wrong time after you see a team fighting until the very last drop. I thought it was bad timing and I told him this.”
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) April 12, 2022
More from Tuchel on the referee: “When you play against Real Madrid, maybe you don’t expect everyone has the courage [to give decisions against them.” #CFC
— Adam Newson (@AdamNewson) April 12, 2022
Social media reaction to the decision
There were arguments made on both sides, with a few more expressing outrage that that goal was not allowed to stand.
This hand ball rule…
— Ben Chilwell (@BenChilwell) April 12, 2022
Never in a million is that a handball lol! It hits him at a fast speed in a totally natural area
— Mark Goldbridge (@markgoldbridge) April 12, 2022
Common sense is gone from football as it currently stands. https://t.co/MwH3liAuET
— Henry Tomlinson (@HenryTJourno) April 12, 2022
It’s quite clearly handball for Alonso, no matter how harsh.
Not really sure where the issue is.
— Ben Browning (@BenBrowning3) April 12, 2022
That’s harsh but, well, them’s the rules. https://t.co/P0V6nqhW8O
— Sam Inkersole (@Sam_InkersoleTM) April 12, 2022
That is a travesty of a decision, how on earth that can be given as a handball is mental.#CFC | #ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/WD8X6BikUo
— Henry Tomlinson (@HenryTJourno) April 12, 2022
That’s an absolute scam, how’s he supposed to stop that touching his hand
— Tom Levins (@TomLevins1) April 12, 2022
I honestly can’t believe that’s been given as handball
— Liam© (@liamb0117) April 12, 2022
AWFUL RULE
— CFC-Blues ️️ (@CFCBlues_com) April 12, 2022