Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has admitted that his side may have been fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty in their 3-0 victory over Valencia at the Mestalla on Saturday, as Nigerian forward Umar Sadiq saw his appeal waved away, Footynaija.com reports.
Sadiq, making his fifth La Liga appearance for Valencia, was seeking to replicate his goal in the 1-1 draw with Villarreal in his previous outing.
However, it was Atletico who responded to back-to-back league draws with an emphatic victory, thanks to a Julian Alvarez and a late strike by Ángel Correa.
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Despite the convincing scoreline, controversy marred the contest, with a key moment arriving in the second half.
With Valencia trailing 2-0, Sadiq directed a header towards goal, only for the ball to strike the arm of Atletico’s Javi Galán inside the box.
The referee dismissed Valencia’s penalty claims, a decision that sparked frustration among the home side and even raised eyebrows in the Atletico camp.
Clear Handball against Atletico defender for Valencia wasn’t whistled
The same referee is Iglesias Villanueva who was on VAR in Espanyol – Real Madrid game (who didn’t see dangerous tackle on Mbappe that day)
— MadMad (@MaadMadrid) February 22, 2025
Surprisingly, Atletico boss Simeone expressed sympathy for Valencia, stating his belief that the decision should have gone in their favour.
He drew comparisons to a similar incident in the recent Spain-Germany clash at Euro 2024, where a controversial penalty was not awarded to Germany for a handball by Spain’s Marc Cucurella.
“It’s the same move as the European Championship,” Simeone said, as quoted by Diario AS. “It was like the penalty decision with Cucurella (during Spain vs Germany). For me, it was a penalty. The ball hits him on his hand. That situation is hardly understandable. Hopefully, we can manage the same line in all the teams. Sometimes they whistle them, sometimes they don’t.”
Diego Simeone: “Valencia deserved a penalty. It hit Galan’s hand. It’s a penalty, just like in the Euros. I don’t understand anything. Hopefully, it becomes clearer for everyone. One day it’s a penalty, and other days it’s not. Hopefully, the same criteria apply to all teams.” pic.twitter.com/SADs8pjVGA
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) February 22, 2025
Valencia head coach Carlos Corberán was visibly disappointed after his team’s heavy defeat, which saw them slip back into the relegation zone.
However, he refused to dwell too much on the controversial penalty decision, acknowledging that refereeing interpretations can often vary.
“There are moments that after a defeat I don’t want to not look at. There is a regulation and an interpretation of the action. There is contact of the hand with the ball. I don’t know if it’s stucker. Simeone says it is a penalty. It hurts less to think that it was not a penalty than to think that it was because a penalty could have changed the game,” Corberán stated.
The defeat leaves Valencia in a precarious position, with their next challenge coming in a crucial away fixture against Osasuna.
