The latest round of La Liga fixtures proved challenging for Real Madrid, who saw their title aspirations take a hit. Alvaro Arbeloa’s squad suffered a 2-1 defeat to Mallorca, while their arch-rivals Barcelona secured a comeback victory against Atletico Madrid at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. This result now puts Barcelona a significant seven points clear of Real Madrid in the 2025-26 La Liga title race.
Barcelona’s triumph, however, was not without its share of controversy, drawing criticism from various quarters, including the wife of a Real Madrid star. During the match against Atleti, the hosts had Nico Gonzalez sent off in first-half stoppage time. Minutes into the second half, another contentious moment occurred when Barcelona defender Gerard Martin was initially shown a red card for what was deemed serious foul play following a tackle on Thiago Almada.
Yet, after a VAR review, the referee’s decision was controversially downgraded to a yellow card. This reversal sparked outrage not only among Atletico Madrid players and staff but also from Mina Bonino, the wife of Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde.
According to reports, Bonino swiftly took to social media to voice her strong disagreement with the VAR’s call on Martin. She posted a close-up image of Martin’s studs on Almada’s ankle, accompanying it with the scathing caption: “You have to close the stadium if that’s not a red card.” Although she later deleted the post, her sentiment clearly reflected the widespread frustration over the incident.
The decision to downgrade Martin’s red card to a yellow has fueled considerable debate. Many observers were surprised that VAR was even consulted, as the initial red card did not appear to be a “clear and obvious error” by referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer. The fact that the game was finely balanced at 1-1 when this pivotal moment occurred has only intensified the controversy, though the outcome of the decision now stands.
As for Fede Valverde himself, he missed the Mallorca clash due to suspension. However, the midfielder is set to return to action for Real Madrid’s crucial Champions League quarter-final first leg against Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
