- Arsenal have been handed a major boost ahead of their match against Atletico Madrid later tonight
- The English giants are on the verge of reaching their first Champions League final since 2006 after their elimination in the semifinal last season by Inter Milan
- Following the controversy at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, the referee appointed for the second leg will inspire Arsenal
The European football governing body has confirmed the match official for the decisive Champions League match between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid later tonight.
The Gunners and Rojoblancos will face each other at Emirates Stadium in the second leg of the UCL second-leg semifinal.
Arsenal currently have an upper hand after scoring a goal in the 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
Source: Getty Images
Swedish forward Viktor Gyokeres gave Arsenal the lead through the spot kick, before Julian Alvarez equalised also through the spot kick.
The Gunners had a late penalty appeal turned down after referee Danny Makkelie rescinded his decision after a VAR review.
Name of referee to officiate Arsenal vs Atletico
UEFA has appointed Daniel Siebert to officiate the clash between Arsenal FC and Atlético Madrid in London.
The experienced official will be assisted by Jan Seidel and Rafael Foltyn, while Tobias Stieler will serve as the fourth official. Bastian Dankert will oversee VAR duties, assisted by Robert Schröder.
Meanwhile, Siebert’s appointment has sparked concern within the Atlético Madrid camp.
According to Football London, the Spanish side are yet to record a win under the German referee, having suffered two defeats (Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur) and one draw (Manchester City).
In contrast, Arsenal have won all three matches officiated by Siebert, including fixtures against Sporting CP, Dinamo Zagreb, and Olympiacos FC in European competitions.
The German has officiated 26 games in the competition since first taking charge of Liverpool vs Crvena Zvezda in the 2018-19 group stage.
Source: Getty Images
He currently lives in Berlin and works part-time as a teacher within a sports program, per AS.
Angry Arsenal fans react
Arsenal fans have visited the social media handle of Atletico Madrid to drag the club following the allegation of favouritism. Read them below:
@Mo_Arsenal9 said:
“Stop crying. Without referees help, you would have lost by 3-4 goals in the first leg.
@_ak233 wrote:
“Haters will say Arsenal tried to convince UEFA/FIFA to make him officiate the match.”
@roseblago added:
“Might that mean he doesn’t fall for their antics and might have the courage to censure Simeone if he is trying to influence decisions as he was successfully last week?”
@_ismo99 said:
“That’s a fantastic conspiracy theory. Do you mind pointing out any controversial decisions he made in those games against Atleti or is this just some superstitious nonsense?”
Why Madrid changed hotels before Arsenal tie
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Rojoblancos previously stayed at the London Marriott Hotel Regents Park before suffering a humiliating 4-0 defeat to the Gunners during the league phase last October.
The former River Plate coach demanded that the team switch their hotel due to his superstitious nature, associated with their previous defeat.
Source: Legit.ng