The committee says the incident did not 100 per cent meet the necessary criteria for denial of a goalscoring opportunity
Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) has acknowledged that Dean Huijsen should not have been sent off during Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory at Real Sociedad on Saturday.
The 20-year-old defender was dismissed just after the half-hour mark for bringing down Mikel Oyarzabal as the forward raced towards goal, with the referee ruling the challenge had denied a clear goalscoring opportunity.
However, the refereeing body said it believed awarding a yellow card would have been the better decision.
“This passage of play shows us the difference between a promising attack and a clear goalscoring opportunity,” the CTA explained.
“The key concept is that the interpretation of the presence and distance away of a second defender can change the punishment from a yellow card to a straight red card.
“The referee shows a red card, believing it involves a clear goalscoring opportunity. The action presents two possible scenarios, depending on a second Real Madrid defender, key to the move.
“If we believe that he could arrive and challenge for the ball, the adequate punishment should be a yellow card, for a promising attack.
“If, as the referee interpreted, the distance makes it impossible for him to challenge for the ball, it’s a clear goalscoring opportunity, punished by a sending off.
“These two scenarios are open to interpretation, and so this committee understands that it doesn’t 100 per cent meet the necessary criteria for denial of a goalscoring opportunity, and the most appropriate punishment would have been a yellow card.”
Madrid coach Xabi Alonso strongly protested the decision during the game and was awarded a yellow card. After the match, Alonso said the referee had tried to explain his decision but the Los Blancos boss wasn’t satisfied.
“After seeing the replay, I haven’t changed my mind,” said Alonso. He gave me his explanation and I wasn’t convinced.”
The club have appealed to rescind the defender’s one-match suspension, but it was rejected by the Spanish football federation’s (RFEF) disciplinary committee .
