Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, CEO of Atlético Madrid, has expressed his anger and sense of injustice regarding the recent matches against Real Madrid and Barcelona, focusing in particular on the decision to overturn the sending-off of Barça’s Gerard Martín following a VAR review.
International referee Mateu Boquets Ferrer had sent off Gerard Martín during Saturday’s match between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, which ended in a 2-1 victory for Barça, before reversing his decision and issuing a yellow card instead, having previously sent off Atlético’s Nicolás González just before half-time.
This decision (to rescind the sending-off) sparked a major controversy in the Spanish media and drew the ire of Atlético Madrid officials, led by Gil Marín.
Marín said in comments reported by the newspaper *Marca*: “When we watch the footage and listen to the audio recording released by the federation, we can’t help but feel ashamed.”
He added: “It is unacceptable that they allow us to hear their comments, which are completely at odds with how VAR is supposed to work correctly, without any action being taken.”
He continued: “Referees have the right to make mistakes, just like players, coaches and officials, but mistakes in the game remain just that. It is a completely different matter when the VAR official influences the main referee whilst he is assessing the game.”
He added: “The on-field referee must be in charge and make decisions based on interpreting each player’s intentions. VAR should only intervene to correct indisputable errors, not to make decisions in place of the main referee.”
The Atlético Madrid president highlighted the differing standards applied to identical situations, saying: “It’s not normal for different decisions to be made on the same situations, for the standards to change, and for us not to know what to expect. This has happened to us in the last two matches (against Real Madrid and Barcelona). It makes no sense.”
Atlético Madrid had lost 3-2 to Real Madrid in the last match before the international break.