Marcelo, sanctioned with three games”>Elche-Real Madrid experienced its greatest controversy in extra time. Before the end of the first half, at 102′, Marcelo knocked down Fidel, who was going against Lunin. Figueroa Vázquez, referee of the match, marked the foul and showed the red card to the Brazilian, who considered that he had touched the ball and that he did not deserve the punishment.
All the Madrid players protested the decision. First, because they considered that there was no infraction. Second, because Fidel was still far from the goal and, they considered, that it was not an obvious goal scoring opportunity.
Iturralde González, head referee for AS and Cadena SER, understands Figueroa Vázquez’s decision to get the red card (although for him it was not an obvious occasion), but he thinks that there was not even a foul. “For me, at first it seems missing, but seeing it repeated, it seems that it is not his turn. The VAR could have entered. Then there is a 100% football debate: for me, to have a clear opportunity you have to have control of the ball, and here the player does not. I can understand that the referee thinks that he is going to control him and he is going to go against the goal. Absolute truths in these cases do not exist. It is said that it is an obvious occasion if out of ten occasions, you put in nine”, he stated in El Carrusel.
In minute 119, Fidel scored a goal for Elche, but Figueroa Vázquez annulled it due to a foul by Verdú on Lucas for a grab. For Iturralde, it was well annulled and he adds that it was even offside for the player from the Elche team. “The whistle long before Fidel’s goal. It is missing. What’s more: if it’s not a foul, it’s offside for Verdú because he’s ahead when Fidel shoots on goal”, he explained.
