The controversial refereeing decisions against Real Madrid in their recent match against Villarreal have added to a growing list of questionable calls faced by the club over the past two decades. The latest incident marks yet another instance in a season that has seen what many describe as a harsh and disproportionate treatment of José Mourinho‘s squad, raising eyebrows even among neutral observers.
During the game against the Yellow Submarine, Real Madrid committed only eight fouls but were handed five yellow cards and a red card, the latter given to Vinícius Jr.. In contrast, Villarreal committed thirteen fouls but received only two yellow cards and no reds. One particularly contentious moment involved a yellow card shown to Konaté despite him not making contact with Gerard, who appeared to dive convincingly. Despite the presence of the VAR, the decision was not overturned.
Disparities in Disciplinary Actions
Referee Díaz de Mera allowed a blatant kick from behind by Güler and an intentional time-wasting maneuver by Freeman to go unpunished, yet was quick to issue bookings to Tchouameni and Mbappé for similar offenses. Over the course of just eight league matches, Real Madrid has witnessed the expulsions of Huijsen and Vinícius Jr., while also enduring aggressive fouls such as the kick to Vinícius in Cornellà and a deliberate elbow to Huijsen in Elche. Notably, Osorio, who scored the opening goal for Elche, was involved in the incident. Meanwhile, red cards were controversially denied to Cuti Romero and Kang-In during what has been dubbed the “derby of shame.”
Statistics since the introduction of VAR further highlight the imbalance: Real Madrid leads the list in having goals disallowed, including a notable case involving Vinícius Jr. These figures reinforce the perception of an ongoing pattern of unfavorable refereeing decisions against the club, intensifying scrutiny over the impartiality and fairness of officiating in Spanish football.