Atletico Madrid vindicated over Barcelona red card fury as La Liga refereeing committee admits Gerard Martin dismissal should have stood

The CTA has officially moved to clarify the controversial incident from last Saturday's showdown between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.

During the latest edition of Tiempo de Revisión, the CTA concluded that the VAR should not have intervened after Mateo Busquets Ferrer originally showed a straight red card to Martin for a heavy challenge on Thiago Almada.

The committee explained that while Martin may have touched the ball, the nature of the follow-through constituted "serious rough play".

The official ruling stated: "The fact of touching the ball first does not cancel out subsequently incurring in imprudent, reckless or rough play. It is serious rough play regardless of who touches the ball first. The correct disciplinary sanction should be a red card."

The released audio revealed the conversation between on-field official Busquets Ferrer and VAR Mario Melero Lopez.

Lopez initiated the review by recommending a review, telling the referee to check for a "possible cancellation of the red card you have shown, please". He followed up by suggesting the contact was a "natural dynamic" after the Barcelona man played the ball in a normal fashion.

After reviewing the footage at the monitor, Ferrer was swayed by the VAR's interpretation, stating Martin "plays the ball and then steps on him, normal dynamic. I am going to cancel the red and show him yellow, okay?"

The CTA has now ruled that this recommendation should not have been made “as it was a correct decision made by the referee on the field".

The admission from the refereeing body follows a scathing attack from Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin. The Atleti chief did not hold back in his assessment of the officiating, describing the situation as "shameful" and questioning the integrity of the VAR process.

Referring to the audio recordings, Marin stated: "When we see the images and hear the audio shared by the Federation, all we can do is feel ashamed. It’s unacceptable."

Defensive mainstay Robin Le Normand also voiced his frustration following the 2-1 defeat, noting that the inconsistency in criteria was difficult to accept. Le Normand highlighted that similar challenges in previous weeks, such as in the Betis vs Rayo Vallecano match, had resulted in red cards, leaving the Atleti stars confused by the lack of uniformity in La Liga's officiating standards.

While the CTA’s admission provides moral vindication for Los Rojiblancos, it does nothing to change the result of a match that has major implications for the table. Barcelona remain at the summit of La Liga with a seven-point cushion over Real Madrid, while Atletico find themselves outside the top three, trailing Villarreal by a single point.