Manchester United legend has criticised referee Daniel Siebert following a contentious penalty call during Arsenal’s historic Champions League semi-final victory over Atlético Madrid
David Beckham did not hold back in his criticism of referee Daniel Siebert after Arsenal booked their place in the Champions League final with a tense 1-0 victory over Atlético Madrid on Tuesday night.
The result secured a 2-1 aggregate triumph for Mikel Arteta’s side and sent Arsenal into their first Champions League final in 20 years. Bukayo Saka scored the decisive goal in north London, finishing from close range late in the first half after Jan Oblak could only parry an initial effort.
While Arsenal celebrated a historic European night at the Emirates Stadium, much of the post-match discussion centred on a controversial moment involving Riccardo Calafiori and Antoine Griezmann.
With Atlético chasing an equaliser in the second half, Griezmann went down inside the penalty area after appearing to be caught by Calafiori. However, referee Siebert had already halted play moments earlier for a foul by Marc Pubill on Gabriel, meaning the incident involving Griezmann was effectively wiped out.
Beckham strongly disagreed with the decision while speaking on his Beckham & Friends watchalong programme.
“Oh my god. Oh that’s not a foul. That is not a foul,” Beckham said. “This [Calafiori challenge] is! Yep! That wasn’t a foul on Gabriel.”
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Actor Tom Hiddleston, who appeared as a guest during the broadcast, compared the incident to another contentious moment from the first leg involving Eberechi Eze. Beckham, though, drew a distinction between the two situations.
“Well, I didn’t think that was a penalty. I don’t think he touched him,” the former England captain added.
Arsenal’s defensive resilience proves decisive
Despite Atlético’s frustration over the officiating, Diego Simeone’s side struggled to seriously threaten Arsenal across the two legs. The Spanish club managed only two shots on target during the second leg and rarely looked capable of breaking down Arsenal’s disciplined defensive shape.
Arsenal, meanwhile, created the clearer opportunities throughout the evening. Viktor Gyökeres squandered a major chance from close range that could have doubled the lead, but Saka’s goal ultimately proved enough to seal progression.
The victory continues an impressive European campaign for Arteta’s side. Arsenal have now reached only the second Champions League final in the club’s history, their previous appearance coming in 2006 when they lost to Barcelona in Paris.
The Gunners will now travel to Budapest for the final at the Puskás Aréna on May 30, where they will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich.
