ไทย
English
中國人
Atlético Madrid CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín launched a scathing attack on Spanish referees following the "unacceptable" incidents that played out during his club's 2–1 loss to Barcelona over the weekend.
The opening fixture of three scheduled clashes between the two Spanish powerhouses got underway at the Metropolitano on Saturday night, where controversy once again overshadowed a high-stakes La Liga encounter. Barcelona defender Gerard Martín was initially dismissed by referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer for a reckless challenge on Thiago Almada.
The red card would have leveled the playing field for the home side, who were already a man down after Nico González was sent off in the first half for a heavy foul on Lamine Yamal. However, VAR official Melero López stepped in and instructed the on-field referee to take another look at Martín's tackle.
To widespread disbelief, Busquets Ferrer reversed his initial call and allowed the 24-year-old to escape with only a yellow card. Barcelona went on to claim a 2–1 win over Diego Simeone's side, extending their lead at the top of the La Liga table to seven points.
What Gil Marín Had to Say About the Controversial Decision
Gil Marín held nothing back when addressing the officiating that dominated the headlines—for entirely the wrong reasons—at the Metropolitano.
"When we look at the footage and hear the audio released by the Federation, all we can feel is embarrassment," he stated. "It's unacceptable that they allow us to hear those comments, which are completely at odds with how VAR is supposed to properly operate, and yet nothing is done about it.
"Referees have just as much right to make errors as players, coaches, and managers, but mistakes during a match are simply that: mistakes. It's an entirely different matter when a VAR official influences the on-field referee while he's assessing a situation.
"The on-field referee must take ownership and make calls by interpreting each player's intentions. VAR should only step in to correct clear and obvious errors, not to substitute the judgment of the main referee."
The released audio captured López advising the on-field official to review and potentially reverse the red card. He then offered his own reasoning for why he considered the challenge undeserving of a dismissal: "In my view, it's an action where the Barcelona player is going for the ball normally, a natural part of the game, and the contact with the Atlético player happens incidentally."
Busquets Ferrer subsequently overturned his original decision, siding with the VAR assessment.
Atlético Madrid on the Wrong End of Controversial Refeering Decisions
It comes as little surprise that Gil Marín publicly expressed his frustration over the decision involving Barcelona, particularly after the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) acknowledged that a strikingly similar challenge in Real Betis' 1–1 draw with Rayo Vallecano should have warranted a red card.
"And the most troubling part is that the CTA itself explained a situation a few weeks ago, stating it should have been resolved with a red card, and then yesterday in an identical situation, the referee made the right call only for VAR to lead him in the wrong direction, overstepping its role—those functions they have explained to players, coaches, and directors, which unfortunately are not being respected," the CEO stated.
Gil Marín then suggested there is a pattern of bias against Atlético Madrid, pointing to another incident that went against them in the Madrid derby. Simeone's squad demanded a penalty after Dani Carvajal brought down Marcos Llorente inside the area, but referee José Luis Munuera Montero waved it away. Los Colchoneros ultimately fell to a 3–2 defeat in that game.
"It's not right that different decisions are made for identical situations, that the criteria keeps shifting, and that we have no idea what to expect. It's happened to us across the last two matchdays. It simply makes no sense," he concluded.