The tackle that provoked Real Madrid’s outrage, more than usual, could lead to reforms in the entire system of refereeing in La Liga. Next week Los Blancos will get to hear exactly how the decision to sanction Carlos Romero with a yellow card rather than red transpired, but the details have now been revealed.
Romero’s lunging challenge was described as a scandal by Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti, and two days later, Los Blancos sent a four-page letter to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) complaining of the refereeing system being manipulated, corrupt and robbing them of trophies in previous years. Next week they are set to present a new proposal for refereeing in Spain.
The RFEF have promised ‘structural changes’ to officiating, but Real Madrid did not attend the meeting with La Liga and other clubs to discuss improvements. Los Blancos have now been invited by the RFEF to listen to the audio recording between the referee and the VAR on Monday.
Cadena Cope have revealed the contents of that audio. After the challenge, referee Alejandro Muniz Ruiz asked to confirm with his assistants who the Espanyol player was. Assistant Diego Sanchez Rojo advised him to send off Romero, however the fourth official told Muniz Ruiz that having not made proper contact with Mbappe, it should be a yellow. Meanwhile VAR Javier Iglesias Villanueva agreed with the fourth official, that the lack of contact meant it should be a yellow card rather than a red, and after looking at the incident, decided it was not a clear and obvious error.
It is no surprise as a result that Muniz and Iglesias have both been ‘in the fridge’ – unofficially dropped – since the incident. Meanwhile Sanchez, the assistant who said it should be a dismissal, will return to officiate Real Madrid this weekend during their trip to Osasuna.
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