The fallout continues in regards to the controversy surrounding Real Madrid’s 2-2 draw with Valencia on Saturday, specifically in regards to the decision of referee Jesus Gil Manzano to blow the full time whistle one second before Jude Bellingham headed into the back of the net, for what would have been the winning goal for Los Blancos.
Former referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz, who was a controversial figure himself during his career, has waded into the debate. Speaking to Cadena Cope’s Tiempo de Juego (via Marca), he took aim at Gil Manzano over his handling of the debacle.
“The referees do their job more to be at the CTA meeting, rather than for football. They’re trying to follow guidelines. It’s worrying that someone who has been around for 11 years to do that, and he is going to be our representative at the European Championships. It’s a systematic error. It’s a matter of total concept. The timing (of the whistle) in the first half was also horrific.”
“It’s just that referees have too much ego. If this calamity did not happen, the CTA would have said that the refereeing intelligence shown by Gil Manzano would have been very good.”
Real Madrid have certainly paid a price over the matter, although it was not one that affected them too badly this weekend, with nearest challengers Girona and Barcelona both failing to capitalise.
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