Newly published VAR audio from Sunday’s tense Madrid derby between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid has shed light on two pivotal disciplinary decisions made during the match at the Metropolitano.
The recordings, released by the RFEF and LaLiga, detail the reasoning behind Cristian Romero’s booking for Atlético and the upgrade of Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen’s yellow card to a red.
Romero’s Booking: A Case of Mistaken Identity
The first significant VAR intervention occurred in the 39th minute. Referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias had initially shown a yellow card to Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham. However, VAR official Daniel Jesús Trujillo recommended a pitch-side review, stating, “Te recomiendo una revisión para que valores un potencial error… Una confusión de identidad” (I recommend a review to assess a potential error… a confusion of identity).
Upon review, Trujillo explained that Atlético defender Cristian Romero had stepped on Bellingham, while it was Bellingham who had made initial contact with the ball. Following this clarification, Ortiz Arias cancelled Bellingham’s yellow card and instead booked Romero for the foul.
Huijsen’s Red Card for Denying a Goalscoring Opportunity
The second crucial incident unfolded in the 51st minute. Referee Ortiz Arias had awarded a penalty against Dean Huijsen for holding Atlético’s Giuliano Simeone and issued a yellow card. VAR official Trujillo again intervened, advising a review for a potential red card under the ‘denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity’ (DOGSO) rule.
Trujillo described Huijsen’s action as a hold without a genuine attempt to challenge for the ball. During the review, Ortiz Arias specifically asked to assess the position of Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. He concluded, “Vale, el portero no está a distancia de llegar. Efectivamente, no hay disputa de balón. Voy a cambiar la amarilla por la roja y mantengo el penalti” (Okay, the goalkeeper is not within distance to reach it. Indeed, there is no dispute for the ball. I am going to change the yellow to a red and maintain the penalty), upgrading Huijsen’s yellow card to a red while maintaining the penalty award. This decision meant Real Madrid played the remainder of the second half with ten men.
Ongoing Analysis
The release of these VAR communications provides an official account of the decision-making process for these two key moments. The CTA’s Technical Committee was scheduled to analyse various incidents from the derby, with plays selected by La Liga’s AI system for public review.