Exclusive: Real Madrid vs Arsenal referee guessed for Declan Rice penalty call
Keith Hackett believes the decision to award a penalty against Declan Rice for a foul on Kylian Mbappe was a “guess” from referee Francois Letexier.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that he could not understand why it took five minutes to reach a decision after a foul was awarded.
Following a stop-and-start oppening exchange between the two European powerhouses, Arsenal were presented with the opportunity to strike first, after Raul Asencio dragged down makeshift striker Mikel Merino in the penalty area.
However, Bukayo Saka’s Panenka penalty attempt was saved by Thibaut Courtoius, reinvigorating the home side and reigniting the atmosphere in the Santiago Bernabeu.
The bubbling tension boiled over minutes later, as supporters pelted Declan Rice with missiles while the star of Arsenal’s 3-0 first-leg win attempted to take a corner.
The Bernabeu then reached a fever pitch in the 23rd minute, after a penalty was awarded for a foul on Kylian Mbappe by the Englishman.
Declan Rice concedes penalty for foul on Kylian Mbappe
Los Blanco’s captain, Lucas Vazquez swung in a delightful cross with a quarter of the game gone, looking to pick out French superstar, Mbappe.
The former PSG forward looked unlikely to be able to reach the cross, but that mattered little to Letexier, who pointed to the spot as it appeared Rice had brought down Real Madrid‘s striker.
| Match stats | Real Madrid | Arsenal |
| Possession | 66% | 34% |
| Shots (on target) | 18 (3) | 12 (6) |
| Expected goals | 1.41 | 2.05 |
| Big chances (missed) | 1 (0) | 3 (1) |
| Corners | 10 | 4 |
The decision looked to be a soft one to say the least, with both players fighting to get to the ball, before Mbappe fell to the floor.
Having been advised to head to the monitor to review the foul, Letexier deliberated for five minutes, watching replay after replay, before reversing his initial decision.
Keith Hackett analyses overturned Real Madrid penalty
Having reviewed the footage, ex-PGMOL chief Hackett told Football Insider exclusively that the five-minute delay to proceedings was hard to fathom, and the penalty decision from Letexier appeared to be a “guess”, saying:
“In the Real Madrid vs Arsenal game when Francois Letexier, top French referee, one of the world’s best referees, pointed to the penalty mark to award Real Madrid a penalty kick, I can only assume that it was a guess.
“He was very fortunate that the VAR, working in unison, called him to the screen to have a look.
“We can all argue it shouldn’t have taken five minutes to recognise there was no foul, and the penalty kick decision given by him, had to be overturned.
“The outcome was the correct decision, no penalty kick, but why did it take five minutes?”
Arsenal capitalised by going on to win the game 2-1 on the night, and 5-1 on aggregate.
The Gunners will face a young and lively PSG in their first Champions League semi-final since 2009.