Valladolid beat Valencia 1-0 in the match played this Friday at the José Zorrilla, leaving Rubén Baraja’s team in a very complicated situation, being the bottom team in LaLiga. The referee of the match, Ortiz Arias, recorded in the minutes moments of great tension in the locker room tunnel at the end of the game.
Ortiz Arias begins by explaining in the minutes how several members of Valladolid went against him and his team. “Once the match was over, when we were heading towards our locker room and just a few meters away from entering it, We were approached by three members of the local club. One of these people addressed my assistant referees in a violent and intimidating manner, berating them and reproaching them for their refereeing work. Later, when the security forces appeared, we asked them to identify said person, informing us that it was Elías Mendes Trindade. The field delegate told us that the position held by said person in the club is scouting or analyst,” says the referee.
“While the above was happening, Domingo Catoira, whose duties at the club are Sports Director, as he identifies himself, addressed me. Said person approached me at the door of my locker room, asking me for explanations in an intimidating manner for my refereeing work,” Ortiz Arias continues describing.
Likewise, the referee highlights that the events described occurred when there was no security member. It is worth remembering that Ortiz Arias whistled again in a Valladolid game after a year and a half without doing so and after a match in which he disallowed a goal from Escudero against Sevilla on matchday 34 of the 2022-2023 season.
Goal that was annulled for blowing the whistle at the end of the first period coinciding with the player hitting the ball. A decision that then motivated that he went two days without whistle.