During the match between Real Madrid and Getafe, in the 25th minute, Rico went down after attempting to dribble past an opponent. After Rico hit the ground, Antonio Rüdiger made a movement where he kneed Rico in the head, yet Rüdiger received no card of any kind.
After the match, experts from Camel Live analysed the potential reasons behind the decision.
On Tuesday this week, the CTA (Technical Committee of Referees), led by David Fernández Borbalán, will review all key incidents from this round of matches, including this challenge by Real Madrid’s German centre-back Antonio Rüdiger on Getafe’s Rico. Eduardo Prieto Iglesias, the head of La Liga VAR operations, is also a member of the committee.
At the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium last night, the on-duty VAR referee, Madrid-based Valentín Pizarro Gómez, should have instructed the match official to attend the pitchside monitor to review Rüdiger’s potential act of violent conduct.
The most plausible explanation for his failure to do so is that he held the same view as on-field referee Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz: that this was an accidental action, with no deliberate intent to cause harm from Real Madrid’s Rüdiger.
As the on-field referee did not award a foul, and likely ruled Rüdiger’s action to be unintentional, this accounts for the lack of action from the VAR room. Since the match took place the previous night, it cannot be included in the CTA’s video breakdown of Matchday 26 decisions, which is scheduled for this Tuesday. Fans and pundits will have to wait until next Tuesday, 10 March, to find out if the incident will be listed as an official analysis case.
The match ultimately ended in a 1-0 away victory for Getafe, but the controversy surrounding the fixture is far from over.
