Well-known in Spain, where he was one of the most sought-after referees for big matches in recent years, Mateu Lahoz once again spoke his mind live about the Real Madrid – Atlético match, particularly regarding the penalty awarded against Aurélien Tchouaméni.
This is a decision that has caused a huge stir in Spain. While an open war rages between Real Madrid and Spanish referees, Soto Grado and his VAR assistants made a big statement on Saturday night. Indeed, in the high-stakes clash of La Liga’s 23rd matchday between Florentino Pérez’s club and their city rivals Atlético, a highly controversial penalty was awarded against Aurélien Tchouaméni in the 33rd minute. While some believe that the Madrid defender made contact with Lino, a player for Diego Simeone’s side, inside the penalty area and therefore committed a foul, Mateu Lahoz is in disbelief.
Mateu Lahoz’s disbelief over VAR
For the former referee, known in La Liga for officiating the biggest clashes of the championship in recent years, VAR should never have intervened to lead to the awarded penalty. Commenting on the match for Radio Cope, Mateu Lahoz argued that Lino did not have possession of the ball and had already missed his chance to gain control of it. Therefore, he believes it was completely illogical to award a penalty against Aurélien Tchouaméni in a sport where contact is inevitable.
“It’s unbelievable that we’ve reached a point where refereeing is done through a photo, based on something unrelated to the nature of the game,” the former international referee exclaimed, lamenting the increasing mechanisation of refereeing decisions. “This is changing a sport that has thrilled us for so many years,” added the 42-year-old Spaniard, who retired a few months ago. Notably, just moments earlier, Mateu Lahoz had warned his colleagues that VAR would not intervene, as the ball was not in contention at the time of the alleged foul.
The controversial decision that doesn’t shake Real Madrid
However, amid the tension and heated atmosphere of recent weeks, Mateu Lahoz’s words went unheard, as VAR ultimately altered the course of the match by calling César Soto Grado to review the incident. As Relevo reported after the match, the referee requested multiple replays to determine the correct decision, but with only one available image showing the contact between the two players, he made his call—something that has infuriated Mateu Lahoz. It must be said that Real Madrid have been on the receiving end of several controversial refereeing decisions lately.
With the team already struggling with multiple injury-related absences, dealing with decisions that significantly complicate matters is far from ideal. Nevertheless, despite the setbacks, Kylian Mbappé managed to find the equaliser for Real Madrid in the 50th minute, following excellent work from Rodrygo Goes. Dominant throughout, Carlo Ancelotti’s side even came close to doubling their lead with a header from Jude Bellingham that rattled the crossbar. Ending in a 1-1 draw, just like in the reverse fixture, the Madrid derby allows Real to stay top of La Liga with 50 points.
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