VAR shocker in Madrid derby! La Liga refereeing body admits Atletico's Lee Kang-in should have been sent off for horror tackle on Real captain Federico Valverde
CTA admits massive officiating error
The CTA has recognised that Lee should have been dismissed for his horror challenge on Valverde, according to AS. Match official Ortiz Arias failed to penalise the tackle, and VAR decided against intervening.
Valverde sustained severe trauma to his left ankle after being caught by the South Korean's studs. Despite the referee having a clear view of the incident, play was allowed to continue. Real Madrid's medical staff later confirmed the extent of the damage, leaving the club deeply frustrated by the lack of on-field action.
The CTA also reviewed two other major controversies from the Metropolitano clash. They agreed with the belated VAR decision to send off Los Blancos defender Dean Huijsen for a professional foul on Giuliano Simeone. However, the committee accepted Arias's controversial choice to spare Cristian Romero a red card for a dangerous tackle on Jude Bellingham, labelling the incident as confusing.
Mourinho slams 'poor' refereeing
Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho was left seething after watching Romero escape a sending-off for catching Bellingham's knee. The Portuguese coach aimed his frustration squarely at both Arias and VAR official Daniel Jesus Trujillo Suarez following the defeat.
"The referee had no experience to officiate a derby. He's 41 years old. He's a poor referee who's only ever done minor matches," Mourinho blasted during his post-match press conference. "Congratulations to the refereeing committee for this appointment. But Mr Trujillo does have a history with Real Madrid. In the Cup, in Girona, Osasuna. He's a VAR official with a lot of history."
Derby drama highlights VAR flaws
The Madrid derby was entirely overshadowed by these glaring officiating inconsistencies. Arias initially booked Bellingham for the Romero collision before VAR overturned the decision, exposing the referee's poor reading of the game. Yet, the complete failure to review the dangerous tackle on Valverde remains the most damaging mistake of the weekend.
The CTA's admission offers little comfort to Los Blancos. Valverde had established himself as an indispensable figure for Mourinho this term, featuring in every match and scoring in the Champions League. His injury leaves a massive void in the middle of the park for a side already trailing in the domestic title race.
Title race takes a hit
Sunday's defeat leaves Real Madrid sitting fourth in La Liga, currently six points adrift of league leaders Barcelona. Their immediate concern is domestic recovery, with Mourinho's men set to host Villarreal on October 10 after the international break. Following that clash, they face a crucial Champions League trip to Italy to take on Roma.
Meanwhile, Valverde's international prospects have been severely compromised. The midfielder is now a major doubt for Uruguay's upcoming friendlies against Japan and ironically Kang-in's South Korea, delivering an unwanted headache for national team boss Diego Forlan.
