MADRID (AP) — Another Real Madrid game, another refereeing controversy.
Sevilla was upset that a red card was not shown to Madrid midfielder Arda Guler in its 4-1 loss at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Spanish league on Sunday. Before the match, it had been Madrid fans complaining again of alleged mistakes against their club.
Madrid later highlighted what it called the “Bernabeu's outrage against” Spanish league president Javier Tebas, who recently compared the club’s efforts to discredit referees with the propaganda techniques of the German Nazi regime.
Real Madrid has demanded the resignation of the president of La Liga, who lashed out at Madrid on Friday with a long social media post that criticized how the club's television channel says referees hurt its chances of winning. Fans at the Bernabeu also called for Tebas' resignation.
Tebas returned to social media Sunday to criticize Madrid after fans showed a banner against him.
During the game, it was Sevilla complaining after Guler appeared to elbow an opponent in the face while trying to free himself. Guler's goal came a few minutes after the quick VAR check resulted in no red card for the Madrid midfielder.
“Why didn't the VAR call the referee?” Sevilla coach Luis García Plaza said. “Maybe because they don’t go into the clasico nine points behind.”
With the victory, Madrid stayed six points behind the Catalan rival ahead of next week's clasico at league leader Barcelona.
Madrid coach José Mourinho said he didn't “understand the obsession” about the possible red card to Guler.
“No one has managed to show me what they say happened. I haven't seen a single image,” he said. “If one day something happens that I believe benefited us, I’ll have no problem coming out and saying it, but I think the opposite is more likely to happen because it’s the natural trend of things. If by Saturday someone sends me a clear and objective image of something I haven’t seen, I’ll address it. For now, nothing.”
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