Sevilla players Juan Iglesias and Kike Salas have criticised the refereeing following their side’s 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid, with both questioning why the officials did not intervene over an alleged elbow by Arda Guler on Peque during the first half.
The incident became a major talking point after Real Madrid took control of the contest through goals from Guler and Kylian Mbappe.
The Sevilla players believe the contact on Peque should have been reviewed and potentially resulted in a red card, while Iglesias also highlighted a separate challenge involving Robbie Ure during Mbappe’s goal.
Juan Iglesias questions decisions in Real Madrid defeat
Iglesias argued that the incident involving Guler and Peque deserved closer scrutiny, explaining that Sevilla’s players had discussed the contact during half-time.
While stopping short of declaring the decision definitively incorrect, the defender made clear that he believed a foul had occurred.
“There was a foul on Peque in the first half. I saw the incident; it looks like a foul to me,” said Iglesias, as per Mundo Deportivo.
The Sevilla player also protested about a possible foul on Robbie Ure during one of Mbappe’s goals, arguing that the decisions had not gone his team’s way.
Apart from the specific incidents, Iglesias expressed frustration with the difficulty of communicating with officials during matches.
“Often you can’t speak to the referees; they won’t let you,” he added.
Kike Salas demands explanation over Guler incident
Salas was more emphatic in his assessment of the incident involving Guler, claiming the Turkish midfielder had elbowed Peque shortly before scoring the opening goal.
The Sevilla centre-back also questioned why VAR had not asked the referee to review the incident.
Kike Salas was not happy with the referee’s decisions. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
“The incident stemmed from an elbow to the face, which is clearly a red card offence. It’s those little details that make all the difference,” said the Sevilla player.
Salas added that Peque had described the contact to his teammates, arguing that the forward’s reaction supported Sevilla’s complaints.
“He tells me he was clearly elbowed. He’s not going to dive, so the medical staff needs to come on,” he said.
The defender remained frustrated that the incident had not received further scrutiny during the game.
“I don’t know why VAR didn’t step in to at least have a look,” he concluded.