Atlético de Madrid lost the Champions League semi-final to Arsenal, 2-1 on aggregate, and many feel that it was an unfair match as there were at least three potential penalties not called on Atleti. The manager Cholo Simeone complained, but also admitted that it was no excuse for their lack of chances, but the result has been a heartbreak for the "colchoneros", who saw themselves in an unusual scenario of reaching a Champions League final while Barcelona and Real Madrid had been eliminated beforehand (Atleti eliminated Barça in two competitions this season, but didn't win any of them).
The elimination also angered the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez Almeida, who is a known Atlético fan, and got a bit carried away during a press conference on Wednesday, saying that Atleti did not play against Arsenal "but against UEFA".
"When I saw the draw, I thought we were going to play against Arsenal, but it was really against UEFA. UEFA hasn't let us play the Champions League final. It's incomprehensible that they appointed a German referee when Spain is playing that country for the fifth Champions League spot. Who would think of doing that except UEFA?", said the mayor, echoing some criticism online against the referee Daniel Siebert.
Thankfully for Spain, Bayern's elimination means that Spain may get that extra spot after all... depending on Rayo Vallecano tonight.
UEFA had "a predetermined and deliberate intent to harm Atlético de Madrid"
But Almeida continued his rant, pointing instead to the European football governing body rather than the referee: "Some plays weren't due to the referee being particularly bad, but rather to a predetermined and deliberate intent to harm Atlético de Madrid. It's incomprehensible that there wasn't a replay of Giuliano's offside when it was a clear penalty, as we've seen later on social media".
Almeida holds firm in his opinion: "I send the team a message of pride, because they competed not against Arsenal, but against UEFA. You can beat Arsenal over 180 minutes, but not UEFA. UEFA used its entire machinery to prevent us from advancing, and the referee was the one who carried out that plan."