UEFA Explains VAR Overturn of Real Madrid's Penalty Against Arsenal

UEFA has clarified why Real Madrid's penalty against Arsenal in the Champions League was overturned after a VAR review determined there was no foul by Declan Rice on Kylian Mbappe. The referee initially awarded a spot-kick to Madrid, but after a lengthy VAR check examining both potential offside and the nature of the contact, the decision was reversed and Rice's yellow card was rescinded. UEFA's statement explained, 'No penalty - no foul. Arsenal's player No. 41 [Rice] did not commit a foul on the opponent.' The decision sparked mixed reactions, with pundits like Ally McCoist and Matt Upson supporting the overturning, while Theo Walcott noted both sides were fortunate with penalty decisions. In the same match, Arsenal were also awarded a penalty via VAR, but Bukayo Saka's attempt was saved by Thibaut Courtois. The incident was one of several contentious VAR decisions during a high-stakes quarter-final clash.