The Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) has reviewed several controversial incidents to determine whether they were correctly adjudicated. This segment of 'Review Time' focuses on two Atletico Madrid matches: against Rayo Vallecano and the derby against Real Madrid.

Three incidents are highlighted. Against Rayo, the CTA concludes that Koke should have been sent off for an aggressive act against Augusto Batalla. This means he should not have played in the Madrid derby, where he started and played a key role. In the derby at the Metropolitano, the committee approved the referee's decisions on the two most controversial incidents: Alexander Sorloth's celebration with the fans, which did not result in a yellow card (which would have been his second), and the penalty conceded by Arda Guler against Nico Gonzalez.

The CTA's view on the controversial incidents:

Koke vs Rayo Vallecano:

"This action involves violent conduct that was difficult to fully assess on the pitch due to the number of players involved and the speed of the incident. The referee identified the offending player but did not fully appreciate the play, hence only a caution was issued. VAR hesitated to intervene because there was no injury and the goalkeeper did not require treatment. Ultimately, they did not intervene. The CTA believes the VAR should have called the referee to review the incident, with the best decision being the dismissal of the Atletico player."

Sorloth's celebration in the derby:

"In added time of the first half, an Atletico player, previously booked, scores a goal and runs to celebrate with his fans. Rule 12 of fouls and misconduct lists climbing onto perimeter fences or approaching spectators in a manner that causes safety issues as grounds for a caution. In this case, the Atletico player did approach his fans, but with the sole intention of celebrating the goal, and the referee did not deem that the celebration caused any safety issues, as he only embraced a small group of them and quickly returned to the pitch. The referee's decision not to caution the player aligns with the spirit of the rule, which seeks to prevent situations that compromise the safety or order of the match. In the absence of such circumstances, a caution is not warranted."

Penalty by Arda Guler:

"A Real Madrid player, attempting to win a high ball, hits the ball with his boot and then makes contact with an opponent's head, who was trying to play the ball. The referee awarded a penalty and issued a yellow card, considering it reckless. The Real Madrid player took a risk, and although he hit the ball, the subsequent contact was clearly reckless. The referee's interpretation was correct, both in awarding the penalty and issuing the caution for reckless play."

A. Sørloth

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