Sevilla reach boiling point over ref decisions as club contacts Spanish refereeing body
After controversial calls in their latest match, Sevilla FC have formally complained to the CTA about perceived injustices and inconsistent officiating in La Liga.
Fed up with what they see as dodgy decisions going against them, Sevilla have finally snapped and taken their grievances straight to the top brass of Spanish refereeing.
Referee rage at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán
The final straw came during yesterday’s match at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, where a perfect storm of controversial decisions left the Andalusian club absolutely fuming:
- Manager Matías Almeyda was sent off after a heated exchange with Navarrese referee Iosu Galech
- Juanlu received a second yellow card, forcing Sevilla to play with 10 men for a significant portion of the match
- A potential penalty for Agoumé wasn’t awarded by either the referee or VAR
The club’s president has now made direct contact with the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) to lodge a formal complaint about the standard of officiating they’ve been subjected to.
”No clear criteria”
Sevilla’s brass are convinced they’re getting the short end of the stick from La Liga officials. They believe there’s no consistent approach to decision-making in incidents where they feel hard done by.
With so much at stake this season, the club feels they can no longer remain silent about what they perceive as unfair officiating and errors being made both in open play situations and disciplinary matters.
The latter was highlighted yesterday when not only Almeyda but also Joan Jordán received marching orders for protesting decisions.
Legal challenge in the works
Beyond just having a moan to the refs’ bosses, Sevilla are taking things a step further. The club’s legal team is preparing a formal appeal to the Disciplinary Committee of the Spanish Football Federation.
They’ll submit match footage alongside the referee’s report, arguing there’s a clear discrepancy between what Galech wrote about Almeyda’s red card and what actually transpired. The aim is to either get the sending-off overturned completely or at least reduce any potential suspension.
For a club currently battling in the league, these officiating issues couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Nervionenses clearly feel it’s time to stand their ground rather than just accept what they see as a right old liberty from the men in black.