Atletico’s Julian Alvarez, formerly of Manchester City, became the center of controversy when his spot-kick was disallowed after he slipped and inadvertently touched the ball with his standing leg, ultimately leading to Real Madrid winning the shoot-out.
Football lawmakers have announced that starting July 1, ‘double touch’ penalties that are taken accidentally and result in a successful kick will be allowed to be retaken. This decision follows UEFA’s call for a review of the laws governing these rare occurrences, prompted by a controversial incident in March during the Champions League last 16 shoot-out between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
In response, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which is responsible for determining the laws of the sport, has clarified Law 14. The IFAB revealed that referees have been “understandably” penalising all instances of accidental second touches due to the law not specifically addressing such occurrences.
The updated guidance issued by the IFAB to national federations and continental confederations indicates that the focus of Law 14 is on deliberate double touches. The IFAB acknowledged that it would be unfair to ignore any double touch, allowing goals from such attempts, as goalkeepers could be misled by changes in the ball’s trajectory.
With the update, if an accidental ‘double touch’ penalty results in a goal, it will now be retaken. However, if the attempt is unsuccessful, it will lead to an indirect free-kick during regular play or be counted as a miss in a penalty shoot-out.
This news arrives as Manchester United and Manchester City look forward to their fixtures for the 2025/26 Premier League season. Wednesday, June 18, 2025 is when the much anticipated timetable is scheduled to be made public. Manchester United’s supporters were hoping for a better season after the team’s poor campaign that ended with them not qualifying for any European competitions. To further solidify their standing as one of Europe’s top teams, Manchester City will be participating in the UEFA Champions League once more.
