When, a few days before the next Madrid derby, the rojiblanca fans learned the name of the match’s main referee, their indignation knew no bounds. Yes, the worst fears of the fans of the club did not materialize – Real Madrid and Atletico parted ways, a 1: 1 draw. But the fact that the “mattress” this time in the “Santiago Bernabeu” did not lose, but that with ten men he organized the ball into the “creamy” goal, the merit of Simeone’s genius of motivation and the self-confidence of his boys. . The main referee of the match, Jesús Gil Manzano, did everything possible not to disturb Real Madrid, but this time he did not finish. Although -thanks to his dedication- there were, in fact, 12 people playing in the whites that afternoon, Atlético, already used to moving, did not lose their minds. To realize the seriousness of the situation: all the last five derbies, the “mattress” received “red” cards as standard.
Still, it is surprising how, against the background of the ongoing scandals on the subject of arbitration with the participation of the giants – the examples of Real and Barcelona – the referees, entering the field, continue to frankly work in favor of of the previous ones. -Clubs mentioned. It would seem that recently Atlético was intimidated in the Spanish Cup, leaving it without him, even the executive director of the rojiblancos, Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, spoke about the ugly refereeing. He openly accused the “creamy” of working with the judges. But things are still there. The referees undoubtedly feel the support of the LaLiga leadership and of Luis Rubiales, president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, known for his, shall we say, atypical decisions and muddy schemes. But for now Barcelona and Real Madrid dominate. everyone seems to be happy with everything. And even if the Catalans were also recently holding hands, having suspected that the club bribed the vice-president of the Spanish arbitration committee, José María Enríquez Negreira, the head of La Liga immediately covered Barcelona with his chest. Javier Tebas said that the case was a long time ago, in 2016, so sports sanctions against the blue garnet are impossible.
So, in the current circumstances, Atlético only has to shake the air, there is no other way to call it. Realizing this, the “colchoneros” decided to even take extreme measures: after the burning scandal in Catalonia, Atlético called on the rest of the clubs to issue a joint statement to express their protest and condemnation of the current situation with the judges. This proposal was officially presented at a meeting of representatives of the clubs of the first and second division of the Spanish championship. Only Real Madrid and Barcelona itself voted against. The rest were willing to agree, but so far there has been no joint statement.
It seems that the rojiblancos, with their eagerness to play football according to the rules, entered into an unequal battle. And if the clubs continue on the sidelines and believe that this is just Atlético’s war, the League will have many more arbitration surprises in store. At least, when meeting with the leaders of the rating, for sure. “It would be good if we could all compete under the same conditions,” Diego Simeone said after the match. But until objectivity and impartiality become a priority for the Royal Spanish Football Federation, it is unlikely that anything will change. Spanish football bosses will keep thinking about Atlético only if they need to speculate about the boring and stuffy game of the “mattress” or start another rumor about another true contender for El Cholo’s place. They have no doubts about arbitration.
