Madrid’s mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida has levelled sharp accusations at UEFA following Atlético Madrid’s two-legged Champions League semifinal defeat to Arsenal. The mayor, an Atlético supporter, criticised match officials and VAR decisions across both fixtures and suggested institutional bias.

“Well look, what I’m saying is that when I saw the draw I thought we’d get Arsenal and I was wrong. We got to play against UEFA. And UEFA has made it clear that they didn’t want Atlético Madrid in the Champions League final,” Martínez-Almeida said during a media appearance.

The mayor singled out the appointment of German referee Daniel Siebert for the Emirates return leg and questioned the broader handling of key incidents. “It’s incomprehensible that they appointed a German referee when Spain and Germany are playing for the fifth Champions League spot,” Martínez-Almeida added. “Who, other than UEFA, would think of appointing a German referee as both the main referee and the VAR referee?

“And yesterday there were plays that weren’t due to the referee being more or less bad, but in my opinion, due to a predetermined decision aimed at harming Atlético Madrid.”

Martínez-Almeida pointed to three specific penalty incidents at the Emirates. The first involved a push by Riccardo Calafiori on Giuliano Simeone that was initially dismissed because Simeone was judged offside; replays suggested Simeone was onside, having been in his own half when the pass was played. “It’s incomprehensible that there isn’t a single replay of Giuliano’s offside when it was a clear penalty,” said Martínez-Almeida. “We later saw on social media that it wasn’t offside and that he left his own half. In a match broadcast by so many television cameras, why didn’t the production team show a replay to determine whether it was offside or not? Because it wasn’t offside, and they refused to admit it.”

Two further claims involved Simeone being impeded by Gabriel after capitalising on William Saliba’s header, and a Calafiori challenge on Antoine Griezmann that followed a separate foul given for a clash between Marc Pubill and Gabriel, a decision VAR upheld.

Martínez-Almeida concluded: “There’s intent in my opinion. I insist, Arsenal could have been beaten, but we couldn’t beat the UEFA Cup and it was impossible to beat it.”

The mayor did not refer to referee Danny Makkelie’s performance in the first leg in Madrid, where three additional penalty incidents were under examination, including a foul on Viktor Gyökeres by Dávid Hancko and a subsequent harsh decision against Ben White that allowed Atléti to equalise.

Mikel Arteta confirmed a timely boost for Arsenal with Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz available for selection for Tuesday’s Champions League semifinal second leg against Atlético Madrid. Havertz had missed the first leg in Spain after damaging his hamstring against Newcastle United, a setback that sidelined him for that match. Viktor Gyökeres has since scored three goals across the subsequent two matches but “lacks the craft and guile of his teammate,” leaving Arteta with tactical choices to consider given Atlético’s typical defensive setup.

Against an opponent likely to press aggressively in spells while affording limited space behind their backline, Havertz is described in the original report as the more natural option through the middle. “We need options,” the Arsenal boss warned, “we need the capacity to play different games, whether it’s from the start or after. So it’s really, really good news for us to have them both back.” That flexibility is important for a manager preparing for a two-legged tie.

Arsenal’s preparations have been brightened by the return of those two players. Atlético’s preparations were disrupted on the eve of the match after multiple members of the playing and coaching staff were thought to have been woken at around 1.30 a.m. by fireworks set off outside Atlético’s hotel in east London. A second batch were released 20 minutes later, which convinced club staff this was a targeted approach. MARCA report that the club swiftly complained to UEFA about this interference.

An additional detail is that Atlético chose to stay in a different hotel to the one they used when they met Arsenal earlier in the Champions League this season. Manager Diego Simeone said this was down to finances while club president Enrique Cerezo laughed it off: “The economy is the economy.”

Off the field Arsenal continue to wait on Jurriën Timber. The fullback has not featured since being forced off with a groin problem against Everton in mid-March. Arsenal have lost four of six domestic matches in Timber’s absence, tumbling out of both cup competitions and allowing Manchester City back into the Premier League title race. There is no clear timeline for Timber’s return.

Sergio Agüero has been forced to suspend his post-retirement senior appearances after sustaining a serious Achilles injury in an over-35 fixture. The 37-year-old was injured during a clash against River Plate in Argentina’s +35 Senior League Cup. His side went on to win 2–0, but Agüero had to leave the field after suffering what was described as a “heavy blow” to his left ankle.

Teammates and opponents helped Agüero from the pitch. He later posted a video to his Instagram story to explain the diagnosis. “I had an MRI and it was confirmed that I tore my [Achilles] tendon,” he Agüero revealed. “Tomorrow, I will start the tests and I will have to have surgery. There’s no other option. I want to thank all the boys from Independiente and also those from River who were worried.”

Following the operation, Agüero shared a smiling picture from his hospital bed. The injury now places his involvement in senior football on indefinite hold as he begins rehabilitation.

Since retiring from elite-level play, Agüero has remained active in alternative competitions. He has taken part in the Kings League, appearing on court in Spain in 2023, and his KRÜ FC team is competing in Kings League Mexico in 2026. Those appearances formed part of his attempt to return to the pitch in a different capacity.

Returning to full-sided matches for the club he supported as a child had been a clear ambition. Agüero left Independiente to join Atlético Madrid at the age of 18 and had always hoped to make a comeback there. A heart problem discovered when he was 33 curtailed plans that may otherwise have allowed him to extend his playing career beyond a two-year contract at Barcelona, so the chance to play in veterans’ fixtures carried personal significance. Playing veterans’ matches “isn’t quite the same,” but it helped make that dream a reality. Only days before rupturing his Achilles, he said: “I’m going to be around here, so I hope to keep adding games.”