Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory over Alaves but faced controversy when Vinicius Jr was denied a late penalty. The club's TV channel launched a strong criticism of the refereeing and VAR decisions, calling the incident more than a human error. The win helped Madrid stay close to league leaders Barcelona.
Real Madrid clinched a narrow 2-1 win against Alaves in La Liga, with the match overshadowed by a contentious late incident involving Vinicius Jr. In the closing minutes at Vitoria, the Brazilian winger went down after minimal contact from Alaves defender Nahuel Tenaglia. On-field referee Victor García Verdura waved play on, and VAR official Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes did not prompt a review.
Vinicius Jr, substituted shortly after, expressed frustration, stating, “they don’t whistle because it’s me.” Real Madrid's victory was sealed earlier when Vinicius set up Rodrygo for the decisive goal in the 76th minute. Manager Xabi Alonso noted he was unsurprised by the non-call and no players spoke to media in protest.
Post-match, Real Madrid TV escalated the criticism, targeting the officials' backgrounds and linking the decision to broader refereeing issues. They highlighted García Verdura's Catalan origins and referenced the ongoing Negreira case involving Barcelona. The channel accused current referees' committee president Fran Soto of downplaying the scandal, declaring, “This is the dirty Liga Negreira, Madrid competes with their arms tied.”
They further claimed, “It’s not a human error. This has another name. It’s a clear decision: they don’t give it because García Verdura and Gonzáles Fuertes don’t want it.” Gonzalez Fuertes has prior tensions with Madrid TV, having criticized their refereeing critiques before last season's Copa del Rey final.
The result kept Real Madrid in contention, matching pace with Barcelona after the leaders' win over Osasuna.
