Mbappé Watches from Subs’ Bench as France and Netherlands Produce Euro 2024’s First 0-0

Kylian Mbappé of France leaves the field at the end of a Group D match between the Netherlands and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Leipzig, Germany, Friday, June 21, 2024. (AP)
Kylian Mbappé of France leaves the field at the end of a Group D match between the Netherlands and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Leipzig, Germany, Friday, June 21, 2024. (AP)
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Mbappé Watches from Subs’ Bench as France and Netherlands Produce Euro 2024’s First 0-0

Kylian Mbappé of France leaves the field at the end of a Group D match between the Netherlands and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Leipzig, Germany, Friday, June 21, 2024. (AP)
Kylian Mbappé of France leaves the field at the end of a Group D match between the Netherlands and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Leipzig, Germany, Friday, June 21, 2024. (AP)

Kylian Mbappé watched from the substitutes’ bench as France and the Netherlands finished 0-0 in a heavyweight European Championship clash on Friday.

Antoine Griezmann missed France’s best chances while Xavi Simons had a goal ruled out for the Dutch in the first goalless draw of the tournament.

It leaves both teams on four points in Group D after their second match. It also ensured Poland was the first team eliminated. Poland was beaten by Austria 3-1 earlier Friday and is assured of finishing bottom of the group, even if it beats France in its final group game.

France’s buildup was dominated by speculation on whether Mbappé would play after the team captain broke his nose in their opening 1-0 win over Austria.

Mbappé trained wearing a face mask on Thursday and coach Didier Deschamps was optimistic he’d be available. But Deschamps evidently decided it was not worth the risk to play Mbappé in a game his team had no need to win.

“Kylian is doing well. He’s getting better with each day. If it was a decisive game I would have thought twice about him playing,” Deschamps acknowledged. “It’s a risk for him. With each day that that passes, we are getting to a point where it’s better for him. I thought the wiser decision was to keep him on the bench.”

France enjoyed its best period of pressure after the break, when Aurélien Tchouaméni headed over, goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen denied Griezmann from close range, and Ousmane Dembélé went close.

Then Xavi fired the ball in at the other end in the 69th on a rebound after Mike Maignan saved Memphis Depay’s effort. It set off wild Dutch celebrations that sent beer cups and their contents flying into the Leipzig sky. But the fans’ elation was quickly deflated because Denzel Dumfries, who was offside, was adjudged after a lengthy VAR check to have obstructed Maignan from attempting to save Xavi’s shot.

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman thought otherwise and felt the goal should have been allowed.

Griezmann had the best of France’s early chances, forcing a save from Verbruggen before he and Adrien Rabiot somehow contrived to miss when it seemed easier to score. Rabiot had only the goalkeeper to beat but he attempted a pass instead to Griezmann, who fell over trying to hit it from close range.

The French team, which needed an own goal to beat Austria, has yet to score at Euro 2024.

“We weren’t efficient enough. We had five or six goal-scoring opportunities and we weren’t able to find the back of the net, and if we’re not able to find the back of the next, we’re not walking away with three points,” Deschamps said. “I’m happy despite the fact we weren’t efficient enough.”

The Dutch fans outnumbered their French counterparts. Thousands of orange-clad fans brightened Leipzig’s city center earlier, though the French fans in blue were in no way discouraged from creating their own party. One French supporter brought a live rooster to the stadium on the eve of the match. It was unclear if the animal had a ticket for the game.



UEFA Wants to Review Double Touch Rule That Was Costly for Atletico in Champions League Shootout

Football - Champions League - Round of 16 - Second Leg - Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - March 12, 2025 Atletico Madrid's Julián Álvarez scores a penalty during the penalty shootout which is later disallowed after a VAR review for a double touch. (Reuters)
Football - Champions League - Round of 16 - Second Leg - Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - March 12, 2025 Atletico Madrid's Julián Álvarez scores a penalty during the penalty shootout which is later disallowed after a VAR review for a double touch. (Reuters)
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UEFA Wants to Review Double Touch Rule That Was Costly for Atletico in Champions League Shootout

Football - Champions League - Round of 16 - Second Leg - Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - March 12, 2025 Atletico Madrid's Julián Álvarez scores a penalty during the penalty shootout which is later disallowed after a VAR review for a double touch. (Reuters)
Football - Champions League - Round of 16 - Second Leg - Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid - Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain - March 12, 2025 Atletico Madrid's Julián Álvarez scores a penalty during the penalty shootout which is later disallowed after a VAR review for a double touch. (Reuters)

UEFA will look into the possibility of reviewing the double touch rule that helped lead to Atletico Madrid’s loss in a penalty shootout against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

UEFA said on Thursday it will enter discussions with FIFA and the International Football Association Board "to determine whether the rule should be reviewed in cases where a double touch is clearly unintentional.”

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) is soccer's rules-making panel.

UEFA's statement came a day after Atletico Madrid lost 4-2 in the shootout against city rival Real Madrid in the second leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League. Atletico won 1-0 after regulation and extra time to force the shootout. Real Madrid won the first leg 2-1 last week at home.

With Atletico down 2-1 in the shootout in Metropolitano Stadium, forward Julián Álvarez touched the ball twice — although barely — while taking his kick and scoring.

Álvarez’s left foot slipped and contacted the ball slightly before he shot with his right foot. The referee did not initially see the double touch and allowed the goal to stand.

Real Madrid players immediately called the referee's attention to check on a double touch.

Video review intervened quickly and reversed the original call after determining the double touch.

Atletico wasn't so sure it happened even after watching different replays. The club made an official inquiry with UEFA to have the incident reviewed.

“Although minimal, the player made contact with the ball using his standing foot before kicking it, as shown in the attached video clip,” UEFA said after Atletico's inquiry. “Under the current rule (Laws of the Game, Law 14.1), the VAR had to call the referee signaling that the goal should be disallowed.”

The rule

The double touch rule exists to keep players from moving the ball closer to the goal on penalties.

The rule by IFAB states “the ball is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves,” and “the kicker must not play the ball again until it has touched another player.”

If the infraction happens outside of a shootout, an indirect free kick is awarded to the other team.

Without the rule, players could potentially attempt to dribble the ball closer to the net before taking their shots.

Similar case in South America

A similar case happened in a penalty shootout in the round of 16 of the 2023 Copa Libertadores.

River Plate player Pablo Solari also slipped and touched the ball twice before scoring, prompting VAR to disallow the goal that ended up leading to the elimination of the Argentine club against Brazil's Internacional.

There were also doubts about a possible double touch in a penalty taken by an Athletic Bilbao player in last year's Copa del Rey final, as well as one taken by Lionel Messi in the final of the 2022 World Cup in a match officiated by Szymon Marciniak, the same referee from Wednesday's Champions League derby in Madrid.

None of those two penalties were disallowed.

Atletico skeptical?

Neither Atletico coach Diego Simeone nor Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said they saw the double touch when it happened on Wednesday, though Madrid players at the midfield line, including Kylian Mbappé, were quick to point it out to the referee.

Simeone tried not to make a big deal about the VAR decision, but he said in the post-match news conference that he had never seen video review intervene like that in a penalty shootout. He said he wanted “to believe that if the VAR intervened it’s because it saw something.”

The coach asked reporters in the post-match news conference to raise their hands if they thought Álvarez touched the ball twice.

“There you go, no one has raised their hands,” Simeone said, “Next question.”

Álvarez has not yet spoken publicly about his penalty shot.