Juanma Castaño and Siro López Clash Over the Real Madrid-Leganés Penalty

The most notorious discussion regarding Real Madrid's victory over Leganés, in the match of LaLiga's 29th round, is about the penalty on Arda Güler. Real Madrid's Turkish '15' fell in Leganés's area during the first half, taken down by a 'pepino' defender... and González Fuertes had no doubt in pointing to the penalty spot.

Not everyone agrees with the on-field referee's criteria, in charge of directing the match at Santiago Bernabéu. As it couldn't be otherwise, the analysis of this play moved to the major media outlets. Juanma Castaño was one of the first to reference this play starring Arda Güler.

According to the COPE journalist, "you're now bringing the refereeing debate to Real Madrid's game". This argument wouldn't always have been made, as "on other occasions, the refereeing debate has been what you've put ahead" of Carlo Ancelotti's pupils' performance. Siro López, a participant in this discussion, didn't hesitate to respond: "on other occasions, we said the same thing".

The veteran journalist recalls that Real Madrid, "on the day of Espanyol, if they had played as they should in the first half", the refereeing debate wouldn't have existed in the first place. "Something I didn't say with Osasuna", the COPE panelist confesses, because "I did clearly say that Madrid had lost because of the refereeing". Not so in the match that took place at the RCDE Stadium, where the white team had a poor performance.

Different Points of View

"Siro, do you see how in this filthy Negreira League, sometimes it's one way and sometimes it's the other?", asked Juanma Castaño. According to the COPE journalist, "sometimes, things go in your favor and sometimes they go against you" to talk about the different refereeing received by Real Madrid. Siro López quickly replied to the words 'filthy Negreira League', a popularized phrase referring to the 'Negreira case'.

The veteran journalist and panelist highlighted that "there is no organized campaign" in that sense. Siro López also defends that the refereeing errors at El Sadar "have no explanation" while González Fuertes's controversial decisions in the Real Madrid-Leganés match "do have one".

Be that as it may, the debate regarding the refereeing controversy in the match between Real Madrid and Leganés will give much to talk about. From the entity presided over by Florentino Pérez, however, they seek to turn the page definitively and focus on preparing for the Copa del Rey match against Real Sociedad.

Carlo Ancelotti's pupils are playing for their presence in the final at La Cartuja, next April 26, against the txuri-urdin team at Santiago Bernabéu. The possibility of making the first treble in the white club's history a reality remains alive... and it is the main focus of the white club in every sense after the victory against Leganés.