Arbitral Controversies: Atlético Escapes Unscathed at Mestalla
Atlético de Madrid starred in an intense match against Valencia at Mestalla, marked by arbitral controversy. The home team claimed two possible penalties in the second half, both for handballs by Rojiblancos players.
The first, a handball by Nahuel Molina after a shot by Javi Guerra, was dismissed by referee Busquets Ferrer and VAR, Iglesias Villanueva, considering that the Argentine player was trying to protect himself and was not occupying an unnatural space with his arm.
The second controversial play involved a shot by Omar Sadiq that hit Javi Galán’s arm. Again, after VAR review, the initial decision not to award a penalty was maintained, considering the natural position of the player’s arm and the short distance to the Valencianista forward.
Arbitral experts such as Iturralde González supported the decisions made, arguing that in both actions the hands were in natural positions and did not extend the volume of the body. Iturralde emphasized that these types of plays, with the hand down and at short range, are not usually penalized as penalties. With an ironic tone, the former referee downplayed the controversy, highlighting the validity of the arbitral decisions and Atlético’s performance in a contested match.
