After the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal, Jamie Carragher launched a fierce criticism of the penalty awarded to Atletico in the second half, stating that the decision had tarnished the reputation of the competition.

Around the 60th minute, Atletico equalized when Julián Álvarez calmly converted a penalty to level the score. The spot-kick was awarded after referee Danny Makkelie reviewed the incident via VAR, a decision that sparked outrage among the Arsenal players. Moments earlier, Marcos Llorente had fired a powerful shot that struck the arm of Ben White, prompting loud appeals from Atletico players. Makkelie initially waved play on, but after consulting the pitchside monitor, he overturned his original decision.

Carragher did not hold back in his reaction, insisting that Arsenal had been treated unfairly. Posting on X, he wrote: “The Champions League is without doubt the highest standard of football, but decisions like this handball penalty really damage the competition’s image. There were already ridiculous controversial calls last night, and this one involving Ben White should never have been given.”