Real Madrid managed to win its 36th League title and once again regained the throne of champion after having a tremendous season in terms of results (they only lost one game against Atlético and tied six in the entire championship) and was marked more than ever by arbitration controversies that have been observed in the different Spanish stadiums.
A large number of plays throughout the year have created controversy and have affected the different teams in the domestic championship, among which Real Madrid and FC Barcelona stand out above all. The merengue team and the ‘culé’ team have been protagonists in two of the most significant actions of the entire season.
The goal annulled against Bellingham at Mestalla due to the ‘horn’
The match between Valencia and Real Madrid on matchday 27 was marked in red on the calendar due to the return of VinÃcius to Mestalla after the racist insults received from a sector of the ‘ché’ stands during last season. The match, which ended 2-2, was played normally until the last minutes of stoppage time in the second half, when Gil Manzano, main referee, caused widespread anger among Real Madrid players after disallow a goal from Jude Bellingham (it was 2-3) with injury time already up.
The Extremaduran referee, seconds before, allowed the white team to launch a ‘last’ corner kick that, presumably, was going to be the last play of the match. After the rejection by the Valencian defense, Gil Manzano did not whistle the end of the game and another new cross would arrive in the area that ended with the English footballer’s shot on goal. Delirium and joy had manifested for a few seconds in the white team, but the referee’s decision was firm: Both were canceled and everyone went to the locker room with one point distributed to each team.
Lamine Yamal’s ‘ghost goal’ in the Classic
Another of the great controversies of the season occurred in the last league Classic between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu, match that would finally decide the league title in favor of Ancelotti’s team (3-2).
With the score at 1-1, Lamine Yamal extended a ball to the near post after a corner kick from his teammate Raphinha. The ball headed straight towards Lunin’s goal, which prevented, according to the refereeing establishment, the ‘ball’ from entering completely into the Madrid goal. The referees, in the absence of goal technology in Spanish football, decided not to consider a hypothetical as valid due to the lack of a clear decision that tipped the balance to one side or the other.
Real Madrid’s other complaints in the League
Real Madrid, despite winning clearly and lifting the league title, complained about several controversial plays against them during the course of the season. One of the most significant was at the beginning of the campaign at the Metropolitano, the scene where The white club had a goal by Camavinga disallowed after a positional offside by Rüdiger which would deprive them of tying the game at 2 against Atlético de Madrid. Finally, Ancelotti’s team would suffer in the derby first and only defeat of the league season by 3-1.
On the other hand, Madrid’s two visits to the Andalusian capital were not entirely as Madrid fans expected. Against Betis at VillamarÃn (1-1), Ancelotti’s team would ask for a possible penalty on Rodrygo when the result read 0-0.
Likewise, an identical scenario occurred, months later, at the Sánchez Pizjuán (1-1) after complaining on two occasions to the main referee about a possible penalty for VinÃcius de Jesús Navas and a disallowed goal for Bellingham due to a positional offside by Federico Valverde. In this meeting, De Burgos Bengoetxea acknowledged to ‘Vini’ that he had been “wrong” in one of the two controversial actions of the party, as revealed by the cameras of DAZN.
Barça, unhappy with some referee decisions
FC Barcelona, ​​for its part, has also demanded the occasional decision at specific moments of the season. In addition to Yamal’s ‘ghost goal’ at the Bernabéu, Xavi Hernández’s team claimed a penalty against Raphinha in Vallecas (2-1 defeat), a grab by Rüdiger with a 1-0 lead during the first leg in Montjuic (the match ended with a 1-2 Madrid victory) and a disallowed goal for Joao Félix against Granada (2-2) after a positional offside by Ferrán Torres.
However, one of Xavi’s harshest criticisms of the referee group It came after the goalless draw against Getafe at the Coliseum. In the last minutes of the match, Barça claimed a penalty on Araújo, but it was not awarded because, according to the referee, the ball had hit Gavi in ​​the handso the action was completely invalidated.
The Catalan coach, after finishing the match, was very angry in the mixed zone: “I don’t see a hand anywhere. The hand is invented, the referee invents it. Everyone has seen it. “They told us that they would blow their hands if they were very clear, and today I don’t see it that way.”
