In the recent phase of the Champions League, Atlético de Madrid has once again been the protagonist of a controversy that has shaken the red and white fans: the annulment of a goal by the VAR. The incident occurred during the match against Manchester United, when American striker Johnny Cardoso scored his first goal of the season only to see it removed by the referee just before half-time following a video referee review. The decision was based on the fact that Marcos Llorente had received a previous handball before the rebound that allowed the assist that culminated in Cardoso's shot.
The case is not isolated. According to analyst Alexis Martín, Atlético is the second team with the most goals disallowed by VAR since the introduction of the technology in the Champions League. Only PSG surpasses the Madrid club with nine disallowed goals, while Bayern has eight, the same as Atlético. Manchester City and Real Madrid share fifth position with seven goals each. On the other hand, Barcelona has benefited the most, with eleven goals disallowed against its rivals, followed by Bayern and Sporting de Portugal with seven each, and Swiss Young Boys with six.
The list of goals disallowed against Atlético in the Champions League dates back to the 2018-19 season, when a play against Juventus saw Álvaro Morata score after a foul by Chiellini that gave him an undue advantage. The following season, Luis Suárez's goal against Liverpool was disallowed for a positional offside, and in 2020-21 the same offside error occurred against Lokomotiv Moscow. In 2021‑22, Antoine Griezmann saw his goal against Porto canceled due to an involuntary handball before the shot, and on 22‑23 Koke's goal against Porto was disallowed for offside. In the 2023-24 season, Samu Lino's goal against Lazio and Morata's against Inter Milan were also disallowed for offside and previous foul violations, respectively.
The pattern of goal disallowance has generated an intense debate among Atlético fans, who believe that VAR is negatively affecting the team's performance. Meanwhile, the club continues to compete with the same intensity, seeking to advance in the competition despite the controversies. Atlético's next matches in the Champions League will be crucial in determining whether the team can overcome the streak of disallowed goals and continue advancing in the group stage and beyond.