Rice: Crowd noise influenced penalty call

In the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, Arsenal drew 1-1 with Atlético Madrid away from home. After the match, Rice was interviewed by TNT in the mixed zone.

The referee made the decision very quickly. There were three penalty situations here tonight. As a player, what do you think of the current situation with so many penalties, set-pieces, and VAR interventions?

"Yes, I think UEFA's standards are completely different. You have to be very careful in both penalty areas because they'll call almost anything. That foul on Eze was a clear penalty, I don't know why it wasn't given. I think the boos from the fans interfered with the decision and changed the referee's mind. But it doesn't matter, it's not important, we have to look forward and beat them at home next week."

What do you think about the (Ben White) handball?

"I haven't seen the replay yet. At first glance, I think if it were the Premier League, it probably wouldn't have been given, because the ball was close to the ground and it wasn't going towards the goal. But UEFA's rules are completely different, as long as the hand is away from the body... I think they would most likely give it in European matches, I'm not sure about the Premier League."

Where does this difference lie?

"It's the difference in the standards and the way they're implemented. I don't know how to describe it, I feel that the referees are harsher in European matches. I've felt this way since I started playing in the Champions League three years ago, the referees make decisions very quickly and the whistles are very decisive. There's nothing we can do about it, we just have to be more vigilant and careful."