Luka Modric had to remind referee Alberola Rojas of a rule during Real Madrid's dramatic Copa del Rey semi-final second-leg victory over Real Sociedad on Tuesday night. Los Blancos went into the match with a 1-0 advantage at the Bernabeu but found themselves trailing 3-1 by the 80th minute. They dug deep, with Aurelien Tchouameni and Antonio Rudiger scoring on either side of Mikel Oyarzabal's late goal to secure their place in the final during extra-time.
It was a night when experience proved crucial for the eventual winners. Few embody Madrid’s mastery of knockout football better than Modric, who has lifted four La Liga titles, six Champions League trophies, and numerous other honours during his 13-year tenure at the club. But it wasn’t just his leadership on the pitch that showcased his wealth of experience.
Alberola Rojas has long been a controversial figure among Real Madrid fans, largely due to his name being linked with the Negreira case - the scandal involving Barcelona and alleged payments to Jose María Enriquez Negreira, the former vice president of Spain’s Referees’ Technical Committee (CTA), between 2001 and 2018. Tuesday night only deepened the rift between the Bernabeu faithful and the referee.
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Why Modric Had To Remind Referee of a Rule in Copa del Rey Win
Alberola Rojas wouldn't let the Real Madrid captain speak to him
Luka Modric
During the opening stages of extra-time, the referee could be seen shooing Modric away and thus preventing the 39-year-old from having a conversation with him. As the captain, however, the midfielder was one of just two players on the pitch entitled to discuss decisions with the officials. See the incident below:
Rojas once again ensured he departed the Spanish capital as a villain on Tuesday night. Before dismissing Modric, he had already drawn the ire of the home crowd with contentious decisions earlier in the match.
VAR remained silent on a possible penalty for Jude Bellingham, while Rojas himself overlooked what could have been a red-card offence when Jon Olagasti hacked down Vinicius Junior with a reckless challenge on the edge of the box.
According to IFAB's Law 5, 'The captain will be able to approach the referee but must take responsibility for helping ensure that their teammates respect the captain-only zone,' meaning Modric had every right to speak with Rojas.
Fortunately for the Croatian, none of the referee’s decisions ultimately impacted the outcome, as Real Madrid secured their place in the Copa del Rey final. They will face the winner of Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona on Wednesday night, with the showdown set to take place at Estadio de La Cartuja on April 26.