Marca newspaper revealed that the Spanish Arbitration Committee declared referee Gil Manzano’s decision to expel Dejan Huijsen in the Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad match was wrong.
Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, along with all the club’s stars and fans, were furious over the expulsion, especially since VAR did not intervene despite it being clear that Huijsen was not the last player to receive the red card and therefore did not deserve the red card.
The matter was referred to the Arbitration Committee after the match, which immediately acknowledged that the decision was incorrect and accused VAR Figueroa Vázquez of negligence.
According to the committee, Vázquez was supposed to call on referee Manzano to review the play on the screen and make the final decision. Therefore, Manzano is not responsible, and the VAR will be suspended for a period of up to one month as a result of this error.
The refereeing committee hopes this move will somewhat quell Real Madrid’s criticism and the fierce media attacks against the referees. However, Florentino Pérez’s administration will likely continue on its path, and has already decided to file a complaint with FIFA against all actions by Spanish referees.
Real Madrid ultimately won at Anoeta Stadium, 2-1, despite being down 1-0 in the first half. Huijsen will miss two matches due to his red card, unless the club’s appeal is approved and the sanction is reduced or overturned.
