The CTA has just confirmed several mistakes by referee Ortiz Arias in the Madrid derby through Tiempo de Revision, a program that analyzes LaLiga's most controversial plays week by week.
After the match between Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid last Sunday, both on social media and on sports programs, nothing else was being talked about but Lee Kang-in's studs-up challenges on Federico Valverde and 'Cuti' Romero's on Jude Bellingham. As always, opinions were divided between those who think the Colchoneros were favored by not seeing two red cards, and those who consider that the fouls did not deserve a sending-off and that they were judged correctly by the referee and VAR.
However, a couple of days after the match, the CTA (Technical Committee of Referees) published a new episode of Tiempo de Revision through the RFEF. In it, they analyze both plays in detail and rule on whether the decision the referee and VAR made was correct or not. In the end, the CTA's ruling on the foul committed by Kang-in was: "Clear and manifest error by the referee; VAR should have intervened; direct free kick and red card."
Now, in the play starring the Englishman and the Argentine, who had a strong clash in midfield after disputing a ball. At that moment, Romero steps near Bellingham's knee, but the referee confuses the offender and ends up cautioning the merengue player. The CTA explains that the referee, Ortiz Arias, goes to VAR to review the play and verify who was really the one who gave the kick. In the end, the ruling was: "VAR was correct to intervene due to mistaken identity; direct free kick and yellow card."
In this play, the confusion lies in the fact that, when the referee went to review VAR, the television feed showed "red card under review," so fans assumed that Ortiz Arias had ruled that it was not a sending-off, so he only showed the yellow, but no. The review of the play was to verify whether or not Bellingham had been the offender. Upon seeing the play again, they withdrew the caution, and Romero was the one who received the card.
In addition, the CTA also reviewed the play by Dean Huijsen on Giuliano Simeone. In it, it was ruled that: "It was a clear and manifest error by the referee; VAR was correct to intervene; penalty and red card." With this, it is confirmed that the defender made a mistake by acting that way. The smartest thing would have been to let the play continue and let Simeone face Thibaut Courtois one-on-one. Why get yourself sent off and give away a penalty?
With this painful defeat, they go into the international break, during which several Merengue players must report to their national teams. For Jose Mourinho and his staff, all that is left is to wait these couple of weeks and hope everyone returns in optimal condition to prepare for the match against Barcelona.
