The last victory of Real Madrid against Leganés in La Liga continues to make headlines. Speaking in front of the cameras, Yan Diomande, an 18-year-old Ivorian player, took aim at Raúl Asencio and Florentino Pérez’s club.
Three days after the final whistle, frustration still lingers within the Leganés camp. Last Saturday, during their trip to the iconic Bernabéu, the newly promoted side saw their hopes shattered by a series of controversial refereeing decisions, as an unrelenting Real Madrid secured a 3-2 win. While Ancelotti’s men quickly moved on to focus on their Copa del Rey semi-final against Real Sociedad tonight, bitterness remains strong among their opponents.
“Asencio fouled me for a penalty”
The defeat is particularly hard to swallow for Yan Diomande, the young Ivorian striker who was making his first-team debut for Leganés. His explosive appearance on El Chiringuito shed light on a key refereeing decision—a denied penalty for a foul by Raúl Asencio in the 94th minute.
Facing the cameras of the renowned show hosted by Josep Pedrerol, Diomande started with a measured statement: “Asencio fouled me for a penalty. For me, it’s a penalty. He touches my leg, so for me, it’s a penalty. But the referee said no, and I respect his decision.” His restraint was short-lived, however, as he soon gave way to the frustration shared by his entire club.
The player went on with more intensity: “I don’t know why the referee didn’t give it.” Directly addressing referee González Fuertes’ performance, he then dropped a bombshell: “The referee? I think he had a poor performance because there was no foul on Mbappé, there was no penalty either (on Güler)… But that’s always how it is with Real.”
Leganés refuses to back down
These statements, fuelled by palpable anger, reflect a sense of injustice that extends beyond the pitch. For Diomande and his club, these repeated decisions favouring the big teams threaten the integrity of the competition. In fact, Leganés themselves took to social media to mock the situation, posting: “And on top of that, they stole an hour from us,” referring to the daylight-saving time change over the weekend.
Meanwhile, even within the Madrid camp, referee Fuertes’ performance raised eyebrows. After the match, Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who is filling in for the injured Thibaut Courtois, made a surprising media statement, hinting at refereeing assistance. Although he quickly sought to clarify his remarks, citing his lack of fluency in Spanish, Lunin’s words spoke volumes. It should not be forgotten that Real Madrid have also been on the receiving end of several controversial refereeing decisions this season.
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