Rice: Champions League Rules 'Completely Different' from Premier League

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice firmly believes that the officiating standards in the Champions League differ significantly from those in the Premier League. His comments follow controversial decisions in yesterday's Champions League first semi-final against Atletico Madrid, specifically a disallowed penalty for Eberechi Eze and a handball awarded against Ben White.

"I think it's completely different in the Champions League. You have to be extremely careful in both penalty boxes because they penalize absolutely everything," Rice stated.

"Eze's penalty was clear. I don't know why it wasn't given. I think the fans might have influenced that decision from the referee. But that doesn't matter; we move on to next week and aim to beat them at home."

Regarding Ben White's handball, Rice added, "I haven't seen the replay yet. My initial thought was that if this were the Premier League, it probably wouldn't have been given because his arm was so close to the ground. The ball wasn't heading towards goal. But the rules in the Champions League are completely different. There, they only look at whether the arm is away from the body. That's just how they operate. In European competitions, they are stricter. I've felt it ever since I started playing in the Champions League three years ago. Referees make quick decisions, blow the whistle quickly. There's not much you can do about it. You just have to be careful," Rice commented after yesterday's match.