AS: Spain's Refereeing Committee Says Lee Kang-in Deserved Red Card, Heuijsen's Red Card Was Correct

According to AS, several controversial decisions in the Madrid derby sparked heated debate, with Spain's Technical Refereeing Committee (CTA) internally acknowledging that Lee Kang-in's foul on Valverde should have resulted in a red card, while Heuijsen's red card decision was entirely justified.

The match between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid left considerable controversy in its wake. Discussions about several contentious decisions are expected to continue for days. Many are awaiting the "Review Time" program, hoping the Technical Refereeing Committee (CTA) will provide explanations. However, AS understands that the organization has internally acknowledged that errors occurred in the match. They believe Lee Kang-in should have been sent off, and that Heuijsen's red card, which was issued after VAR review, was entirely correct.

Referee Ortiz Arias failed to take advantage of the opportunity the CTA gave him this past Sunday. He was assigned to referee the crucial Madrid derby—La Liga's most important match—as a reward for his excellent performance last season and this season's start. However, this match proved beyond his capabilities. He made incorrect decisions in three controversial situations on the pitch, two of which required VAR intervention. The first intervention was initially not to review a red card, but to identify the correct player. VAR intervened because referee Ortiz had blown a foul on Bellingham and issued a yellow card, but the VAR assistant helped him realize that Cristian Romero was actually the player who fouled the Real Madrid player, with potential for a red card. However, Ortiz ultimately decided not to issue a red card. The CTA sympathized with the referee on this decision, attributing it to the chaotic situation at that moment.

Shortly after, a more serious error occurred. Lee Kang-in made a dangerous challenge on Valverde, but the referee did not blow a foul, nor did VAR intervene for review. The CTA believes this was a challenge that deserved a red card. This was one of the match's most serious errors.

Meanwhile, they also unanimously agreed that Heuijsen's foul on Gianluca Simeone, when Real Madrid was awarded a penalty, deserved a red card. Ortiz Arias awarded the penalty but did not issue a red card for the offense, despite the Real Madrid player pulling down his opponent and not playing the ball. This time, VAR corrected the error by issuing the red card.