The Referee’s Committee (CTA) has confirmed that Atletico Madrid’s strong objections on Saturday night were valid, regarding the reversal of Gerard Martin’s red card decision at the Metropolitano stadium. This pivotal incident, occurring early in the second half, significantly influenced the game’s outcome.
Atletico, already reduced to ten men after Nicolas Gonzalez received a red card for fouling Lamine Yamal in first-half stoppage time, faced another critical moment. Just two minutes into the second half, Martin cleared the ball but, in his follow-through, made dangerous contact with Thiago Almada. The referee initially issued a red card, which was subsequently downgraded to a yellow following a VAR review.
CTA Affirms: Martin Deserved Red Card
During their regular weekly review, the CTA determined that VAR’s intervention to overturn the referee’s initial call was incorrect. Their detailed explanation follows:
“The incident involved a contested 50/50 ball, accessible to both players. The visiting player reached the ball first and struck it. Nevertheless, in the continuation of the motion, his studs made contact with the side of the opponent’s leg, just above the ankle, resulting in a twisting of the joint. The referee, assessing in real-time the intensity, impact zone, and consequences of the tackle, correctly issued a red card for serious foul play.”
“Crucially, touching the ball first does not absolve a player of responsibility for subsequent reckless, dangerous, or excessively rough actions. Both the Atletico Madrid-Barcelona incident and a similar one from the Betis-Rayo Vallecano match (reviewed on February 24th during matchday 22) are deemed to fall within this classification.”
Simeone and Le Normand Express Outrage
Following the game, Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone asserted that it was an unequivocal red card and there was little else to discuss, even alluding to the CTA’s upcoming review. In contrast, Barcelona’s Hansi Flick stated his belief that it wasn’t a red card offense. Robin Le Normand sharply retorted, ‘Of course, he would say that,’ further suggesting that he himself would have been dismissed in an identical scenario.
