La Liga heats up early: strong statement from Spain's referees' association

A hot start

The Spanish Football Referees' Association (AESAF) hit back on Tuesday at Getafe manager Jose Bordalas, who had criticised the officiating after his side's 3-0 defeat to Alaves on the opening weekend of the Spanish league.

Bordalas questioned the way the referees handled his team at the Mendizorroza stadium, claiming Getafe "are not treated in the same way" as the rest of the teams. His complaint followed the sending-off of Kiko Femenia during the game.

The turning point, in the manager's eyes, was that red card. He branded the final result "unfair".

AESAF, in a statement published by Marca newspaper, condemned the "tone and exaggeration" of Bordalas's remarks, arguing they amounted to an attempt to pin his team's defeat on the refereeing system.

The association also rounded on the insults aimed at referee Manuel Jesus Ouriana, who was taking charge of his first match in the Spanish league.

Femenia's dismissal came in the 58th minute. The referee first produced a yellow card for his challenge on Abde Ezzalzouli, but the video assistant referee (VAR) stepped in, sent him to the screen and prompted the upgrade to red.

Referees, the association insisted, remain committed to applying the law by objective and fair standards, handling similar situations on the pitch in the same way despite the difficulty of the job and the varied nature of what unfolds during matches.

Respect for officials sat at the heart of the closing message. AESAF called on everyone within the football system to help build a healthy, respectful competition and to foster an atmosphere of understanding and mutual respect.

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