Arbitral Controversy: An Echo from the Past?
Following the recent arbitral controversy in the Champions League match between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid, where the annulment of a goal by Julián Álvarez generated controversy, echoes from the past resurface.
In the 90s, during the match-fixing trial of Olympique de Marseille, Real Madrid was accused of allegedly bribing the linesmen with high-value gifts. These accusations, made by Ljubomir Barin, a player agent involved in match-fixing, claimed that the white club gave Rolex watches to the referees.
According to Barin, these practices ensured resounding victories for Real Madrid. Jean Pierre Bernes, former manager of Marseille, justified these practices, arguing that it was a common method among the big European clubs to guarantee favourable results.
These revelations, collected in the book ‘Dirty Games’, were never formally investigated in Spain. After the arbitral controversy at the Metropolitano, the Rojiblanca fans feel frustrated by the speed and lack of clarity in the VAR review, generating suspicions about impartiality in the decisions. This episode reopens the debate on transparency and ethics in football, questioning the credibility of the institutions and recalling accusations that, although from the past, resonate strongly in the present.
