The Referees’ Technical Committee (CTA) has struck hard. Referee Muniz Ruiz and VAR assistant Iglesias Villanueva have been penalised following their highly controversial performances during the Espanyol-Real Madrid match.
The match between Espanyol and Real Madrid was marked by a number of controversial decisions. The most outrageous of these was Carlos Romero’s assault on Kylian Mbappé, which resulted in a straight yellow card. The move was deemed extremely dangerous and should have led to a straight red card.
The Madrid club also protested against other contentious situations. There was talk of Jofre Carreras’ hand not being whistled for in the area. A goal disallowed to Vinicius Jr for a foul by Mbappé on Pol Lozano and an unsanctioned contact between Lozano and Vinicius. Faced with these errors, the CTA reacted immediately.
Exemplary penalty for Muniz Ruiz and Iglesias Villanueva
Appointed to referee the King’s Cup clash between Atlético Madrid and Getafe, Muniz Ruiz and Iglesias Villanueva were ultimately dismissed, according to Relevo. Their performance at Cornellà led the CTA to temporarily sideline them, a practice colloquially known as ‘putting a referee on ice’.
⚖️ ÁRBITROS | Estas son las designaciones arbitrales para los cuartos de final de la #CopaDelReyMAPFRE.
— RFEF (@rfef) February 3, 2025
ℹ️ Designación completa: https://t.co/7J7keNAJv2 #ArbitrajeRFEF | @CTARFEF pic.twitter.com/eUCg9Uv6R1
The replacement has already been decided. Cuadra Fernández and González Fuertes will referee the match at the Metropolitano. This decision confirms that the CTA takes refereeing performances very seriously. This is not the first time Muniz Ruiz has been criticised this season. During the Barcelona-Betis match, his decisions were already criticised by the CTA. It’s a situation that raises concerns about his management of high-level matches. Real Madrid, for their part, continue to denounce the unfavourable treatment they receive, calling it a ‘dirty league’. The affair is likely to be talked about for a long time to come.
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