COS columnist Lord of the Foot takes a look at how La Liga officials may be swayed by the profile of a player when dishing out disproportionate punishments.
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A day after suffering a harsh challenge from Espanyol’s Galán, Cristiano took a cautionary leave of absence from training to work with physios in the gym. Whether or not he injured himself during the tackle or the subsequent tumbles along the floor is up for debate. However, Galán saw straight red which brings into question the issue of double standards. You could hardly ignore the coincidence of this event just days after Ujfalusi’s horror tackle on Messi.
If you have not seen the challenge, here it is below (and ignore the dramatic slow motion in the latter half of the video).
That is not a red card, but surely warrants yellow. Galán clearly makes an attempt on the ball, with no malice or intent whatsoever, and unfortunately catches Cristiano with his trailing leg. The referee, however, wasted no time issuing the Espanyol midfielder his marching orders.
Atlético Madrid’s manager Quique Sánchez Flores made the following statement in a press conference yesterday in response to Ujfalusi’s tackle:
“The scale of everything that has happened is determined by the profile of the player. I have seen many of these challenges and often there is no injury. But we all know that if it happens at the feet of Messi or Cristiano, it causes people to cry out to heaven.”
He is absolutely correct…but not entirely, and that deals with the latter of the two players mentioned – Cristiano Ronaldo. A prolific diver and cheat of the game, Ronaldo never receives the benefit of the doubt. His post-tackle dramatics, which were on display last night, give referees more than enough reason to turn a blind eye and let play continue. Which is why the straight red last night is completely unexpected and out of line.
This referee thought more of his credibility and the potential inquisition had a sending off not been issued, and that is no way to officiate a professional football match. All players, superstars or not, deserve a fair trial by referees on the basis of the offense, not the name on the back of the shirt.
Spain is on the brink of falling down a slippery slope here. If it continues, Javier Mascherano should expect his postman to deliver his next red card before the match even begins!