In a match marred by controversy, Atletico Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Barcelona has ignited fierce discussions over refereeing decisions at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium. The pivotal moment occurred shortly after the halftime break when Gerard Martin received a red card for a challenge on Thiago Almada, a decision that was later revised to a yellow following a VAR review.
The decision has sparked outrage among Atletico’s management, particularly as the team had already lost a player to a red card just before the break. In light of these incidents, the club has lodged a formal complaint with the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), prompting CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin to address the issue publicly.
Speaking to Diario AS, Gil Marin did not hold back on his discontent regarding the Spanish Football Federation’s handling of the situation, stating: “When we see the images and listen to the audios shared by the Federation, all that remains is to feel ashamed. It is not possible for them to let us listen to their comments, completely contrary to what should be the correct functioning of the VAR, and nothing happens.” He added, “Referees have the same right to make mistakes as players, coaches and managers, but mistakes in the game are just that, mistakes. Another thing is that a referee from the VAR predisposes the main referee when he is judging an action.”
Gil Marin Challenges VAR Intervention
Gil Marin strongly contested that VAR should not have interfered with the original decision made by on-field referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer. He maintained that the initial red card did not constitute a clear and obvious error. “The field referee must have the responsibility and make decisions interpreting the intention of each one. VAR should only intervene to correct uninterpretable errors, not to decide in place of the main referee. It’s not normal that the criteria has changed and we do not know what to expect. It has happened to us in the last two games. It makes no sense,” he noted.
Inconsistencies in Refereeing Policies
Gil Marin further criticized the CTA for inconsistencies in their decisions. He referenced a recent case involving Real Betis’ Valentin Gomez, which had been cited by the Referee’s Committee as deserving of a red card. “And the worst of all is that the CTA itself explains a play a few days ago, assures that it should have been resolved by showing a red card and yesterday in an identical play the referee makes the correct decision and the VAR leads to the error exceeding their functions, those that have been explained to players, coaches and managers and that unfortunately are not fulfilled,” he expressed.
