"Don't play the victim": Pedrerol lashes out at Real Madrid and puts the refereeing committee at the heart of the storm
Opposite direction
The fallout from Real Madrid's 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid has continued, after the capital derby turned into an open arena for refereeing controversy. The Madrid club objected to a number of decisions in the match, chief among them the failure to show a red card to Atletico players Kang-in Lee and Koke Romero during the first half.
On "El Chiringuito", presented by Josep Pedrerol, the most notable refereeing incidents in the derby came under detailed analysis. The presenter dwelt on the impact of the controversial decisions on the course of the match, posing a direct question about the scenario that could have unfolded had the two Atletico players been sent off.
Pedrerol said: "Real Madrid must play better, but what if the referee was right? What if the referee had sent off two Atletico players? Certainly, everything would have changed."
He did not absolve Real Madrid of responsibility for their display, though. Pedrerol stressed that the team is required to produce a better level, and that they lacked the necessary sharpness against Atletico, who possess, by his description, greater strength in duels and physical contests.
The presenter also dwelt on the strong tackle on Federico Valverde, pointing out that the Real Madrid player got up quickly and continued playing. He then linked the incident to the nature of Atletico's matches, saying: "He gets up as if nothing happened. Football is also for the troublemakers, and Atletico Madrid excel at that."
At the same time, Pedrerol rejected reducing Real Madrid's defeat to the refereeing. That does not prevent dwelling on the decisions that sparked controversy, he argued, explaining that telling the truth about refereeing errors does not mean playing the victim.
Turning to the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), the presenter demanded an official clarification regarding the incidents that prompted the objections. "On Tuesday they must announce publicly and say: this is regrettable and we ask for forgiveness," he said.
He also called on Fran Soto, the president of the Technical Committee of Referees, to comment on the two incidents in which the referee did not show a red card to the Atletico players, saying: "I hope Fran Soto apologises for these two errors." He pointed out at the same time that the derby saw other controversial incidents.
