Real Madrid's channel exposes the contradictions of Spanish refereeing and ignites controversy
Why does VAR intervene here and stay silent there?
Real Madrid ground out a 1-0 win over Villarreal in the eighth round of the Spanish league, but the victory couldn't stop tensions flaring inside the Bernabeu. Vinicius Junior's sending-off stole the spotlight and triggered a wave of fury at the officials, with fears mounting that the Brazilian could miss the upcoming Clasico.
Jose Mourinho's men laboured against Villarreal's well-organised defence, despite the chances Kylian Mbappe carved out. They finally broke through in the 60th minute. Federico Valverde slipped the ball to Yan Diomande, who drilled a low shot into the net for his first goal in a Real Madrid shirt, cutting the gap on Atletico Madrid to a single point.
The joy didn't last. The referee chalked off a second goal from Vinicius Junior, scored on a counter-attack led by Jude Bellingham, after VAR spotted the Brazilian winger deliberately pulling Nathan Saliba's hair as the move began.
Without hesitation, the referee disallowed the goal and sent the player off, leaving Real Madrid to see out the final minutes with ten men. Things got worse when Vinicius squared up to referee Isidoro Diaz de Mera, before Antonio Rudiger stepped in to calm him down.
Inside the club, the decision sparked a storm. Real Madrid's official channel launched a blistering attack on the officials, questioning why VAR intervened for the Vinicius red card while other challenges it branded as serious went unreviewed, among them Lee Kang-in's tackle on Valverde and an incident in which Dean Huijsen caught an elbow.
Aurelien Tchouameni was just as unhappy after the final whistle. "I don't understand what is happening with the referees and this red card," he said. Mourinho made no secret of his anger at the decisions throughout the match, and Spanish press reports suggest he skipped the post-match press conference for fear of a heavy suspension over his comments.
All of this lands at a delicate moment for Real Madrid, who are gearing up for a tough European tie against Roma in a charged dressing-room atmosphere, according to the French website "Foot Mercato".
For Vinicius, already enduring a turbulent start to the season, another blow could be coming. The sending-off threatens to rule him out of the Clasico against Barcelona in two weeks, depending on the punishment handed down.
Mourinho may have celebrated Diomande's goal with his players, but by the end of the night every eye had turned to the Vinicius crisis. Its fallout could reach one of the biggest matches of the season.
