"Today, the referee reviewed a previous incident only to deny us a penalty," Simeone said after the match against Botafogo in the final Group B game on 23/6. "We are very clear about what needs to improve, and that will help us progress."
Meanwhile, forward Giuliano Simeone said, "I've never seen anything like it. Atletico should have been awarded two penalties. I haven't reviewed the footage, maybe I'm wrong. But the decisions were all against us."
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Julian Alvarez falls in the box during the first half of Atletico's 1-0 victory over Botafogo at the Rose Bowl, Los Angeles, California, USA, on 23/6/2025. Photo: Reuters |
Julian Alvarez falls in the box during the first half of Atletico's 1-0 victory over Botafogo at the Rose Bowl, Los Angeles, California, USA, on 23/6/2025. Photo: Reuters
In the 25th minute, Julian Alvarez surged into the penalty area and appeared to be tripped by a Botafogo player. However, Mexican referee Cesar Ramos did not blow the whistle.
In the 44th minute, Alvarez was again contesting the ball in the box. The Argentinian forward managed to get a touch before Gregore attempted a clearance, and then clutched his leg in apparent pain. The referee went to the sideline to review the footage and determined that Alexander Sorloth had committed a foul on a Botafogo player earlier in the sequence, thus denying Atletico a penalty.
Atletico dominated the match but only managed to score once, thanks to Antoine Griezmann in the 87th minute. The 1-0 victory wasn't enough for the La Liga side to advance. Atletico finished with 6 points, the same as Botafogo and PSG, but with an inferior goal difference, placing them third in the group and leading to their early exit from the tournament.
Goalkeeper Jan Oblak suggested the course of the game would have been different had Atletico been awarded a penalty and scored in the first half. "Then, things might have been a little easier in the second half," he expressed. "We went into halftime with a draw, and it's very difficult to score three goals in the second half, especially against a team that defends well."
Griezmann, however, refused to blame the referee. "The game lasts 90 minutes. We had time to score more goals and win," the French forward stated. "This is a deeper issue and a problem within the team itself, not with the referee. Few teams get eliminated with 6 points, but that's our case. We have to accept it."
In the round of 16 of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, PSG will face the second-place team from Group A at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta at 11 p.m. Sunday, June 29th, Hanoi time. Botafogo will play the Group A winner exactly 24 hours earlier.
Compiled by Hong Duy
