Before the Copa del Rey final last month we saw unprecedented drama, with referee De Burgos Bengoetxea tearfully recalling the effect of criticism from Real Madrid TV and other outlets on him and his family and Madrid reacting by boycotting all the official preview events.
That ensured the focus was squarely on the officials before that game. The referees got through the first 95 minutes and 21 seconds without having too many difficult calls to make.
But then, with the game at 2-2 and heading for extra time, Raphinha raced into the Madrid box, Asencio challenged him and De Burgos Bengoetxea showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Cue uproar in the stadium, with players, coaches and supporters all voicing their ideas about the decision. While Raphinha readied himself to take the spot kick, the words ‘VAR check’ came up on the screen at La Cartuja.
On the VAR, Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes, who himself had emotionally criticised Real Madrid TV’s treatment of referees the day before, decided it was worth another look.
De Burgos Bengoetxea came to the screen, was stopped on his way for a chat by Barca coach Flick, and then overturned his original decision.
The previous 95 minutes had seen plenty of incidents and decisions for the officials to make, and the game threatened at various times to boil over, with players, coaches and fans on both sides frequently upset. Will that happen again today?
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