The Technical Committee of Referees judged that the action of the attacker Atlético de Madrid Kang-in Lee on midfielder Real Madrid Fede Valverde should have been a red card, as confirmed on the ‘Review Time’ segment, but classified Cuti Romero’s challenge with Jude Bellingham as a high‑interpretation incident. Was the referee’s call a missed opportunity?
“Is Kang‑in Lee’s challenge a red‑card offense? He lunges to halt Fede Valverde’s run, boots connect with the leg, joint twists, injury risk spikes. Direct free‑kick and red card. Clear, obvious error by the referee; VAR should have stepped in, the CTA asserted.”
Kang‑in Lee’s studs struck Fede Valverde’s ankle, leaving the Real Madrid star with a grade‑3 sprain, according to the club. Referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias showed no card to the South Korean, and VAR gave no prompt for review.
Regarding the clash between ‘Cuti’ Romero and Jude Bellingham in the same match, the committee deemed the foul “high‑interpretation” and described the stomp as reckless, even though VAR had already issued a yellow to the Argentine.
“Ball contested by two players. After playing it, Cuti Romero steps on Jude Bellingham’s leg. Intensity carries high‑interpretation weight. Miguel Ángel confuses the foul’s nature. The stomp occurs within the incident the referee evaluated. VAR advises a review due to identity mix‑up. On the monitor, the referee labels the stomp reckless, awarding a direct free‑kick and a yellow. VAR’s intervention was spot‑on for the identity error,” the committee explained. In my view, the VAR’s confusion was unnecessary.
The CTA also noted that Ortiz Arias erred by flashing a yellow to Dean Huijsen for the penalty on Giuliano Simeone, a decision VAR later corrected. “Giuliano Simeone drives into the box, secures position, aims at goal and controls the ball. Huijsen grabs his arm, leaving no ball‑play dispute. Clear cause‑and‑effect. Obvious referee mistake; VAR got it right,” the report concluded. Will future derbies see clearer officiating?