CTA says Kang-in Lee should have been sent off in the Madrid derby

The CTA has addressed the controversial incidents in the Madrid derby, stating that Kang-in Lee should have been sent off for his challenge on Fede Valverde. Kang-in Lee reportedly planted his studs on the Real Madrid midfielder’s ankle; according to Real Madrid, Valverde finished the match with a grade 3 sprain.

In its review format, the CTA said the Atlético de Madrid forward had launched himself to stop Valverde’s progress, making contact with his studs on the leg, causing a joint twist and creating a high risk of injury. The body said the correct decision should have been a direct free-kick and a red card. It described the failure to dismiss him as a clear and obvious error, adding that VAR should have intervened. Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias did not show the player a card, and VAR did not ask him to review his decision.

The CTA, however, described the duel between Cuti Romero and Jude Bellingham as an incident with a “high degree of interpretation”. The Argentine was shown a yellow card after VAR intervention. According to the body, Romero had played the ball before stepping on Bellingham’s leg in a contested-ball situation. The CTA said the referee had initially misunderstood the direction of the offence, before VAR recommended an on-field review because of mistaken identity. On the monitor, Ortiz Arias deemed the contact reckless: a direct free-kick and a yellow card. The CTA believes VAR was right to intervene in that case.

The body also identified an Ortiz Arias error on the penalty conceded against Giuliano Simeone: Dean Huijsen was initially cautioned before VAR corrected the decision. The CTA stressed that Simeone had entered the penalty area with an established position, moving towards goal and with the ball under control, when Huijsen pulled his arm without any possibility of playing the ball. It considered the cause-and-effect link clear and said VAR correctly corrected a clear and obvious error.