After the red card was rescinded... Catalans praise VAR and the referee in the Atlético match

Referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer’s handling of the match between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid has been praised by former international referee Barrenchia Monteiro in an assessment published in *Mundo Deportivo*, following the thrilling encounter between the two sides in La Liga’s 30th round.

Barcelona had secured a dramatic away win, after the match had remained deadlocked until the final minutes, before Robert Lewandowski snatched the winning goal in the 87th minute, giving his side three precious points that cemented their lead at the top of the table with 76 points, seven points clear of Real Madrid, whilst Atlético remained on 57 points in fourth place.

Monteiro emphasised that the referee performed well in a complex and physically intense match, noting his good positioning and physical fitness, which helped him stay close to the action, ensuring the match flowed smoothly thanks to his sound application of the ‘give-and-go’ rule.

He added that Busquets Ferrer, despite a few moments where he appeared lenient, succeeded in imposing his authority and controlling the match, particularly in the face of repeated clashes between players, which he dealt with firmly through the use of cards.

The report highlighted the referee’s disciplinary decisions, noting that he issued several yellow cards at appropriate moments, before one of the match’s key moments involved the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR), which played a decisive role.

Montero explained that the video referee, Mario Millero López, made the correct decisions, most notably when he called on the referee to review Nico’s challenge on Lamine Yamal, which resulted in the yellow card being upgraded to a straight red, as it was a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

VAR also intervened again to review the sending-off of Gerard Martin, with the referee ultimately deciding to issue a yellow card after reviewing the footage.

Montero concluded his assessment by emphasising that the referee had handled the tough clash between Atlético Madrid and Barcelona well, with effective support from VAR and the assistant referees, ensuring the match was conducted with as few decisive errors as possible.

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