UEFA drops VAR official after controversial Alvarez penalty decision

On Thursday, Polish referee Marciniak will take charge of the Europa League quarter-final between Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham Hotspur. However, his long-time VAR partner, Kwiatkowski, will be conspicuously absent. Since 2022, the pair had formed an inseparable officiating team.

The duo most recently officiated the second leg of the Champions League last 16 clash between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid on 12 March. The disallowed penalty — which saw Alvarez penalised for striking the ball twice during his spot-kick — became the centre of controversy.

Marciniak, suspicious of the ball's movement, consulted the VAR room, where Kwiatkowski reviewed the incident and advised the cancellation of the penalty.

UEFA defended the officials' actions at the time, even releasing footage showing a rear-angle view in which the ball appeared to first touch Alvarez's left foot before being struck with his right. Despite the video, the decision continued to generate widespread debate.

Atletico Madrid responded with a strongly worded statement, expressing "disbelief" and acknowledging that, although VAR errors would not alter match outcomes, the ramifications were severe.

"We are fully aware that, no matter how clear the VAR mistake is, the result will not be overturned. In any case, we deeply regret the 'incident' — as UEFA termed it — and the terrible consequences it has had for us."

The situation escalated further in recent days after several Atletico fan groups reportedly commissioned forensic reports, which questioned the authenticity of the footage. As revealed by Mundo Deportivo, these suspicions could lead to legal proceedings if any manipulation is confirmed.

For now, UEFA maintains that the correct decision was made. What stands out now is the timing of Kwiatkowski's removal — just as scrutiny over the decision reignites.

While Marciniak will still officiate in Frankfurt, flanked by his regular Polish assistants Listkiewicz and Kupsik, and fourth official Raczkowski, the VAR team will be entirely Spanish. Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez will oversee the video operations, assisted by Cesar Soto Grado.

The absence of Kwiatkowski raises fresh questions about UEFA's internal handling of controversial decisions — and whether this marks a quiet sanction for the man at the centre of one of this season's most debated VAR calls.