Watch: Valencia defender escapes punishment for a reckless problem on Barcelona star

Watch: Valencia defender escapes punishment for a reckless problem on Barcelona star

The quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey between Valencia and Barcelona noticed an early second of controversy that sparked heated debates. 

Within the eighth minute, Valencia’s Hugo Guillamon made a sort out on Pedri, which led to protests from Barcelona gamers. 

The referee, Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias, halted the match to test on Pedri, who was visibly in ache after Guillamon’s sort out struck the facet of his ankle.

Regardless of the severity of the state of affairs, Guillamon didn’t obtain any disciplinary motion. The VAR official, Valentin Pizarro Gomez, selected to not name the referee to assessment the incident, at the same time as Barcelona gamers continued to attraction for a reconsideration. 

The dearth of intervention left many questioning the effectiveness of the VAR system in vital moments.

Assessing the problem

Former referee and analyst Iturralde Gonzalez expressed his perception that VAR ought to have stepped in, highlighting the harmful nature of Guillamon’s problem. 

Ni siquiera ha habido amarilla

Esta entrada de Guillamón sobre Pedri se ha saldado únicamente con falta y el VAR ha decidido no entrar a revisar la jugada #LaCopaRTVE

En directo, aquí: https://t.co/LkH0LQA2mC pic.twitter.com/W5XJk3dABC

— Teledeporte (@teledeporte) February 6, 2025

In response to Gonzalez, the sort out was executed with extreme power and at a substantial top, making it a dangerous play that warranted additional scrutiny.

“For my part, it’s a tough and severe play. He goes to the bottom with extreme power with the board in entrance and at a substantial top.” 

“The referee is so shut, that the angle of seeing the 2 our bodies and the affect is all the time much less. You see these performs significantly better if you find yourself 10-15 meters away. For my part, the VAR needed to warn him,” he defined as relayed by AS.

Pedri is ok

Luckily for Barcelona, Pedri was capable of proceed taking part in after receiving therapy on the pitch. He not solely recovered however went on to ship a formidable efficiency, showcasing his footballing brilliance all through the match. 

The incident reignited discussions concerning the rising controversy surrounding refereeing choices in Spanish soccer. 

In current weeks, officiating has come below intense criticism. A notable instance was the refereeing in Espanyol’s match towards Actual Madrid, which prompted Actual Madrid to lodge a proper criticism with the RFEF and the CSD.