The Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has sparked controversy after strongly criticising UEFA in the aftermath of Atlético Madrid’s elimination from the UEFA Champions League.
Following Atlético’s defeat to Arsenal FC, Martínez-Almeida alleged that the Spanish side were effectively competing against UEFA itself rather than just their opponents on the pitch.
He said:
“When I saw the draw, I thought we got Arsenal but I was wrong, we got UEFA.”
He went further to suggest bias in officiating and decision-making:
“UEFA made it clear they didn’t want Atlético de Madrid in the Champions League final.”
The mayor also claimed:
“Atlético fans are proud of our team, because they competed not against Arsenal, but against UEFA.”
“You can beat Arsenal over 180 minutes, but you can’t beat UEFA.”
His comments have intensified debate around officiating and perceived fairness in European competitions, though UEFA has not issued any response to the remarks.
A storm of controversy off the pitch following Atlético’s European exit.
