Champions League — Arteta fumes after referee overturns Eze penalty in Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid semifinal first leg Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta lambasted the referee’s decision to overturn a penalty he had originally awarded his side that denied it victory in the first leg of its Champions League semifinal against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
After consulting the VAR, referee Danny Makkelie overturned the penalty he had awarded when Eberechi Eze appeared to have his toe stepped on in the second half, and the game ended 1-1.
Arteta argued that there was clear contact and said the fact that the referee had to watch the replay several times before reversing his decision was proof that it should have stood.
“What I’m incredibly fuming about is how the hell the penalty on Ebs gets overturned,” Arteta said. “If you have to watch it 13 times…That’s a goal that can change the course of the season. This cannot happen.”
READ | PSG’s Hakimi to miss Champions League semifinal second leg due to injury – Reports
Arteta said that he accepted the penalty awarded to Atletico after the ball bounced off Ben White’s leg on to his hand, even though it would not have been awarded in the Premier League. Julian Alvarez converted, equalising in the 56th minute.
“The same way we have to accept Ben White’s penalty, Ebs’s is a clear penalty,” he said.
Arteta said he was proud of how his team withstood a raucous atmosphere in Madrid even if he lamented that Arsenal’s task would have been easier in the second leg next Tuesday if the penalty had stood.
“It’s all to play for in London,” he said.
Published on Apr 30, 2026
#Champions #League #Arteta #fumes #referee #overturns #Eze #penalty #Arsenal #Atletico #Madrid #semifinal #leg
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta lambasted the referee’s decision to overturn a penalty he had originally awarded his side that denied it victory in the first leg of its Champions League semifinal against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
After consulting the VAR, referee Danny Makkelie overturned the penalty he had awarded when Eberechi Eze appeared to have his toe stepped on in the second half, and the game ended 1-1.
Arteta argued that there was clear contact and said the fact that the referee had to watch the replay several times before reversing his decision was proof that it should have stood.
“What I’m incredibly fuming about is how the hell the penalty on Ebs gets overturned,” Arteta said. “If you have to watch it 13 times…That’s a goal that can change the course of the season. This cannot happen.”
READ | PSG’s Hakimi to miss Champions League semifinal second leg due to injury – Reports
Arteta said that he accepted the penalty awarded to Atletico after the ball bounced off Ben White’s leg on to his hand, even though it would not have been awarded in the Premier League. Julian Alvarez converted, equalising in the 56th minute.
“The same way we have to accept Ben White’s penalty, Ebs’s is a clear penalty,” he said.
Arteta said he was proud of how his team withstood a raucous atmosphere in Madrid even if he lamented that Arsenal’s task would have been easier in the second leg next Tuesday if the penalty had stood.
“It’s all to play for in London,” he said.
Published on Apr 30, 2026
![Deadspin | PIF to no longer financially back LIV Golf [US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 5, 2026; Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA; Bryson DeChambeau in action during the second round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Reuters via Imagn Images Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund confirmed Wednesday it will no longer finance LIV Golf, according to the Wall Street Journal. The league will notify its players and staff by Thursday. Reports of PIF pulling its funding have been rampant for weeks. The Telegraph reported LIV officials were summoned to an emergency meeting in New York last week, and a tournament scheduled for June in Louisiana was postponed. In a statement issued to Field Level Media, the league said it planned to move the tournament to the fall to avoid “the peak summer heat and the crowded global sports calendar.” Last Wednesday, ESPN obtained an email LIV CEO Scott O’Neil sent to staff claiming the 2026 season will continue “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.” He made no mention of LIV’s future beyond 2026, however. Founded in 2021, LIV Golf made its debut in June 2022 and used lavish, guaranteed contracts to lure dozens of stars like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau away from the PGA. PIF has provided LIV with more than $5 billion, but the league has reportedly lost millions of dollars per year. Earlier this month, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, PIF’s governor and LIV’s main financial backer, shared a plan for the kingdom to cut back on international investments and focus on more domestic projects. DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Rahm reportedly turned down the opportunity to return to the PGA Tour earlier this year. According to MSN.com, some LIV players have reached out to the DP World Tour. “At the moment, we’re in the mode of just listening because we don’t know any more than anyone else does”, DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings told MSN. “But we’ll listen and we’ll make sure that we’re fully informed before we make the decisions that we need to do. But for sure, there are people who are concerned and we will be having conversations with them at the right time.” PIF and the PGA Tour signed a Framework Agreement on June 6, 2023, throwing out the lawsuit LIV filed that accused the PGA of being a monopoly. But a deal to work together never came to fruition, despite the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump. LIV has seven more events scheduled for this year, including May 7-10 at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #PIF #longer #financially #LIV #Golf](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28164487.jpg "Deadspin | PIF to no longer financially back LIV Golf [US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 5, 2026; Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA; Bryson DeChambeau in action during the second round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Reuters via Imagn Images Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund confirmed Wednesday it will no longer finance LIV Golf, according to the Wall Street Journal. The league will notify its players and staff by Thursday. Reports of PIF pulling its funding have been rampant for weeks. The Telegraph reported LIV officials were summoned to an emergency meeting in New York last week, and a tournament scheduled for June in Louisiana was postponed. In a statement issued to Field Level Media, the league said it planned to move the tournament to the fall to avoid “the peak summer heat and the crowded global sports calendar.” Last Wednesday, ESPN obtained an email LIV CEO Scott O’Neil sent to staff claiming the 2026 season will continue “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.” He made no mention of LIV’s future beyond 2026, however. Founded in 2021, LIV Golf made its debut in June 2022 and used lavish, guaranteed contracts to lure dozens of stars like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau away from the PGA. PIF has provided LIV with more than $5 billion, but the league has reportedly lost millions of dollars per year. Earlier this month, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, PIF’s governor and LIV’s main financial backer, shared a plan for the kingdom to cut back on international investments and focus on more domestic projects. DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Rahm reportedly turned down the opportunity to return to the PGA Tour earlier this year. According to MSN.com, some LIV players have reached out to the DP World Tour. “At the moment, we’re in the mode of just listening because we don’t know any more than anyone else does”, DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings told MSN. “But we’ll listen and we’ll make sure that we’re fully informed before we make the decisions that we need to do. But for sure, there are people who are concerned and we will be having conversations with them at the right time.” PIF and the PGA Tour signed a Framework Agreement on June 6, 2023, throwing out the lawsuit LIV filed that accused the PGA of being a monopoly. But a deal to work together never came to fruition, despite the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump. LIV has seven more events scheduled for this year, including May 7-10 at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #PIF #longer #financially #LIV #Golf")
![Deadspin | PIF to no longer financially back LIV Golf [US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 5, 2026; Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA; Bryson DeChambeau in action during the second round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Reuters via Imagn Images Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund confirmed Wednesday it will no longer finance LIV Golf, according to the Wall Street Journal. The league will notify its players and staff by Thursday. Reports of PIF pulling its funding have been rampant for weeks. The Telegraph reported LIV officials were summoned to an emergency meeting in New York last week, and a tournament scheduled for June in Louisiana was postponed. In a statement issued to Field Level Media, the league said it planned to move the tournament to the fall to avoid “the peak summer heat and the crowded global sports calendar.” Last Wednesday, ESPN obtained an email LIV CEO Scott O’Neil sent to staff claiming the 2026 season will continue “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.” He made no mention of LIV’s future beyond 2026, however. Founded in 2021, LIV Golf made its debut in June 2022 and used lavish, guaranteed contracts to lure dozens of stars like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau away from the PGA. PIF has provided LIV with more than $5 billion, but the league has reportedly lost millions of dollars per year. Earlier this month, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, PIF’s governor and LIV’s main financial backer, shared a plan for the kingdom to cut back on international investments and focus on more domestic projects. DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Rahm reportedly turned down the opportunity to return to the PGA Tour earlier this year. According to MSN.com, some LIV players have reached out to the DP World Tour. “At the moment, we’re in the mode of just listening because we don’t know any more than anyone else does”, DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings told MSN. “But we’ll listen and we’ll make sure that we’re fully informed before we make the decisions that we need to do. But for sure, there are people who are concerned and we will be having conversations with them at the right time.” PIF and the PGA Tour signed a Framework Agreement on June 6, 2023, throwing out the lawsuit LIV filed that accused the PGA of being a monopoly. But a deal to work together never came to fruition, despite the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump. LIV has seven more events scheduled for this year, including May 7-10 at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #PIF #longer #financially #LIV #Golf](https://i0.wp.com/images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28164487.jpg?ssl=1 "Deadspin | PIF to no longer financially back LIV Golf [US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 5, 2026; Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA; Bryson DeChambeau in action during the second round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Reuters via Imagn Images Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund confirmed Wednesday it will no longer finance LIV Golf, according to the Wall Street Journal. The league will notify its players and staff by Thursday. Reports of PIF pulling its funding have been rampant for weeks. The Telegraph reported LIV officials were summoned to an emergency meeting in New York last week, and a tournament scheduled for June in Louisiana was postponed. In a statement issued to Field Level Media, the league said it planned to move the tournament to the fall to avoid “the peak summer heat and the crowded global sports calendar.” Last Wednesday, ESPN obtained an email LIV CEO Scott O’Neil sent to staff claiming the 2026 season will continue “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.” He made no mention of LIV’s future beyond 2026, however. Founded in 2021, LIV Golf made its debut in June 2022 and used lavish, guaranteed contracts to lure dozens of stars like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau away from the PGA. PIF has provided LIV with more than $5 billion, but the league has reportedly lost millions of dollars per year. Earlier this month, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, PIF’s governor and LIV’s main financial backer, shared a plan for the kingdom to cut back on international investments and focus on more domestic projects. DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Rahm reportedly turned down the opportunity to return to the PGA Tour earlier this year. According to MSN.com, some LIV players have reached out to the DP World Tour. “At the moment, we’re in the mode of just listening because we don’t know any more than anyone else does”, DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings told MSN. “But we’ll listen and we’ll make sure that we’re fully informed before we make the decisions that we need to do. But for sure, there are people who are concerned and we will be having conversations with them at the right time.” PIF and the PGA Tour signed a Framework Agreement on June 6, 2023, throwing out the lawsuit LIV filed that accused the PGA of being a monopoly. But a deal to work together never came to fruition, despite the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump. LIV has seven more events scheduled for this year, including May 7-10 at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #PIF #longer #financially #LIV #Golf")
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