Atletico Madrid player Julian Alvarez has revisited the controversial double-touch incident that led to his side's Champions League elimination last season. The Argentina forward admitted that "it's impossible to tell" whether there really were two touches during that decisive moment.
The defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League continues to linger in the minds of Atletico fans. The infamous double contact from Alvarez's penalty remains a painful memory at the heart of the club.
Manager Diego Simeone spoke about it recently, and now the man at the centre of it all has shared his thoughts.
In an interview with DAZN, the former Manchester City striker looked back on the refereeing decision that ultimately saw the Rojiblancos knocked out of Europe's top competition.
"I've watched the video around ten times. Even then, you can't really tell if there were two touches. It's impossible to spot, even with the camera angles. For everything to fall apart over something like that—it hurts a lot," Alvarez confessed.
He also reflected on his first year with Atletico, highlighting the influence of Antoine Griezmann. The Frenchman, whose form this season has drawn some scrutiny, played a key role in helping Alvarez settle at the Metropolitano.
"Griezmann was the first to message me, urging me to join Atletico. He's got such class, such experience, such quality… he makes everything so much easier," said the Calchin-born forward.
Finally, Alvarez spoke about what it means to share the pitch with a legend like Lionel Messi for Argentina. "Leo has been my idol since I was a kid. That photo with him during the World Cup was a dream come true," he concluded.