Yet another development in the fallout stemming from Real Madrid’s victory over Almería on Sunday has come to the fore online.
This comes amid confirmation that Spanish authorities have been forced to open an official investigation, into the leaked VAR room audio from the Santiago Bernabéu.
Earlier this evening, something of a bombshell dropped in the Spanish media. This came in the form of a leaked conversation between Francisco Jose Hernandez Maseo – referee for Real Madrid vs Almería, and Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez – the lead VAR technician for the clash.
The leak in question centered on an incident late in proceedings, which saw Vinícius Jr. aggressively swing his arm into the face of Alejandro Pozo.
Pozo, for his part, immediately went to ground off the ball, sparking a discussion between the pair of officials.
Hernandez Hernandez informed Hernandez Maseo of a ‘possible foul in attack’, worthy of a second look.
Maseo, however, responded by assuring that he had seen the coming together in real time, with ‘nothing’ untoward having taken place.
Hernandez Hernandez nevertheless continued to look over the footage, but ultimately came to the same conclusion as his superior.
This comes despite widespread agreement amongst viewers that Real Madrid’s gifted wide-man should likely have seen red for his actions.
And yet, if the latest word stemming from the media is anything to go by, the powers that be in Spain appear to be less concerned with the subject matter of the leaked conversation, than they are with precisely how it was made public.
Journalist Gerard Romero of Jijantes is the man responsible for pushing the audio online, but his access to such sensitive information could only have come from an inside source.
As a result, as confirmed by Carrusel Deportivo and more, the CTA (Technical Committee of Referees) have launched a full-scale investigation into the situation.
Real Madrid 3-2 Almería… The game that keeps on giving.
Conor Laird | GSFN
