A man speaking in front of an image of a soccer match with players in action near the goal area.
Mateu Lahoz speaking and behind him Asensio's penalty | Camara Real Madrid Confidencial
FIRST TEAM

Mateu Lahoz Points to the Referee After Madrid's Elimination: 'In My Life...'

Refereeing Controversy in Champions in the Elimination of Los Merengues at Bernabéu

by

Borja Díaz

The elimination of Real Madrid in the Champions League has left several individuals blamed for what happened. Mbappé, Bellingham, Ancelotti... the blame has been pointed at several Madrid players after losing to Arsenal. However, in the second leg, there was also room for refereeing controversy.

It is true that the refereeing can't be blamed for the elimination of Real Madrid, who were not up to the task. But at Bernabéu, there were indeed a couple of issues that were not well received. This is pointed out by Mateu Lahoz, who refers to the penalty awarded in favor of Arsenal.

Soccer players in action during a match in the field area.
Moment of Asencio's Grab on Mikel Merino Called as Penalty | Real Madrid Confidencial

"In my life, I've never seen a penalty like this in the Champions League," said the former referee and now commentator. Everything that happened was a series of blunders against Madrid. To begin with, because the play happened in the 6th minute and was taken in the 13th.

But also because Asencio's grab did not occur in the area where the ball was. It was a corner kick where Rice attempted an Olympic goal, with no chance for a header. It is surprising that this penalty was called and not another similar one when the Madrid defender was trying to head a cross.

Mateu Lahoz Criticizes Everything That Happened with the Penalty

For Mateu Lahoz, nothing was done right in the awarding of the penalty that Courtois ended up saving. "It had gone unnoticed by everyone, it was even outside the referee's view. It's the first penalty in the Champions League to be awarded without the ball being involved in the area," he indicated.

A soccer stadium full of spectators with a large mosaic in the stands and players lined up on the field before an important match.
The Bernabéu at Real Madrid - Arsenal with the Tifo in the Stands | Real Madrid CF

For the former referee, "it takes a long time for a play that is clear," something he doesn't understand. "It draws a lot of attention for everything: for the time, for the way, it's something surprising," he continued analyzing. It was an action, at the beginning of the match, that served to disrupt Madrid's rhythm.

Something similar happened with the 5 minutes reviewing Mbappé's penalty that had been awarded. Another endless pause that managed to calm the comeback atmosphere at Bernabéu. "Sadly, we had warned that the essence of soccer has been lost," Mateu Lahoz concluded.

➡️ First Team

More posts: