Dean Huijsen’s Suspension Controversy
Dean Huijsen, a young defender for Real Madrid, has publicly condemned the Spanish football federation’s appeals committee for upholding his one-match suspension, despite a previous acknowledgment that his expulsion was unwarranted. The controversy arose following a match last weekend where Huijsen received a straight red card during Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory against Real Sociedad. Referee Jesus Gil deemed Huijsen’s foul on Mikel Oyarzabal as one that denied a ‘clear goalscoring opportunity’.
Appeals Committee’s Decision
Although the Comisión Técnica de Arbitraje (CTA), responsible for officiating reviews, discussed the incident in a recent video analysis, concluding that a simple yellow card would have sufficed, the RFEF’s appeals committee decided to sustain the one-game ban. Their reasoning was based on the notion that varied interpretations of the event were possible, including the one presented in the referee’s report. According to the committee, since the referee’s decision did not constitute a ‘clear and obvious error’, the original ruling stood.
Huijsen’s Reaction
Huijsen took to Instagram shortly after the decision, expressing his frustration, stating, ‘They admit the mistake but I’m still punished. A good image for Spanish football.’
Incident Analysis
The incident, which occurred near the halfway line, involved another Real Madrid player, Éder Militão, who was close enough to possibly intervene. The CTA’s assessment illustrated this ambiguity in their video commentary, suggesting two distinct narratives based on Militão’s potential involvement. If it were believed he could challenge for the ball, only a yellow card would be warranted for a promising attack. However, if the referee’s interpretation prevailed—that Militão could not intervene—the foul warranted a red card due to the perceived clear goalscoring opportunity.
Despite the CTA’s position stating the incident did not completely satisfy the criteria for denying a goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO), they acknowledged the VAR’s decision not to step in was correct. They emphasized the nature of the decision as a ‘grey area’ and determined that it was within the referee’s discretion to decide.
Real Madrid’s Response
In light of this controversy, Real Madrid TV has reported that the club is compiling a record of refereeing decisions in Spain over the past year, aimed at presenting their findings to FIFA. As a consequence of the suspension, Huijsen will miss the upcoming La Liga match against Espanyol, adding to the club’s vocal criticism of wavering officiating standards, especially following recent developments in the Negreira case, where testimonies regarding alleged financial transactions involving rivals Barcelona and Spain’s ex-referee vice-president have come to light.
