Real Betis have responded furiously to the officiating that occurred in their 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Sunday.
Los Verdiblancos have been in sensational form this season. They currently stand in third place in the La Liga table, ahead of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
This weekend, their rivals were held to draws by Villarreal and Granada respectively. Therefore. a win on Sunday would have allowed the underdog side to push further ahead, as well as ensuring they kept the pressure on second-placed Sevilla. However, that was not to be.
What happened during Rayo Vallecano vs Real Betis?
The game kicked off with one of the more shocking moments of the season. Alex Moreno received a red card for a high boot against his former club’s left-winger Isi Palazó. Although the foot to the face looked brutal, the Spaniard’s low head indicated that the kick was entirely accidental. However, there was blood gushing from the head of his victim.
Betis’ misfortune then continued. The referee dismissed their calls for a penalty kick following an Alejandro Catena Marugán handball. But despite their rocky start, Betis took the lead on the cusp of half-time. Sergio Canales fired past a helpless Luca Zidane.
However, it didn’t take the home side long to level the score. Ivan Balliu smashed the ball from inside the box into the top right corner in a shot that couldn’t be stopped. Betis furiously claimed there was a foul in the build-up, but the referee took no action.
They then desperately searched for a winner and forced Betis goalkeeper, Rui Silva, to make a couple of excellent saves. But neither side could find that extra bit of magic to steal all three points in the end.
How have the Spanish club reacted?
Real Betis had a massive opportunity last night. A victory would have allowed them to capitalise on results elsewhere. So it’s no surprise that they had some grievances towards the referee. However, what was more surprising was their very public criticism of the officiating during the match.
After the match, the La Liga side took to Twitter to send a clear message to the match officials.
They wrote: “Real Betis have always been absolutely respectful with the referees and their decisions, but what we have seen today is incomprehensible. The job of a referee is to be fair and just, not the disgrace we have seen today at Vallecas.”
“A mistake is understandable, but one error after another, all in the same direction, damaging the rules, cannot be understood. Álex Moreno’s red card, a handball inside the home area, foul before the goal and foul from Carvalho when he was alone. There is no possible explanation.”
Although Betis may desire some form of action from The Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional, it is unlikely that they’ll get it. In fact, the Spanish club may well have to face action themselves in the near future.
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