Refereeing controversy has flared up around Real Madrid once again. Brazilian Vinicius Junior found himself at the centre of an incident that infuriated coach Jose Mourinho, when Espanyol's Alex Calatrava kicked him as he lay on the pitch and the referee produced no card.
Calatrava defended himself in comments reported by Spanish website "Defensa Central". He insisted the incident deserved no punishment, arguing it came as part of the battle for the ball, and stressed that both the referee and VAR judged it unintentional.
"During the play with Vinicius, I tried to pass the ball and then stopped," the Espanyol player said. "It was completely unintentional, and the referee and the video technology interpreted it that way." Not receiving a yellow card was, in his view, a fair decision.
Criticism poured in once the replay aired. It showed Calatrava kicking Vinicius from behind as the Brazilian lay on the turf, with the ball out of reach and no real chance to play it. Many felt the challenge warranted at least a yellow.
The paradox ran deeper still. Calatrava picked up a yellow card before half-time in another clash with Vinicius, which sharpened the debate over the first incident. Had he been booked for it, a second yellow could have sent him off.
For Real Madrid's fans, the moment stirred memories of another controversial episode at Espanyol's stadium. Carlos Romero once challenged Kylian Mbappe violently from behind, a tackle at knee level that also escaped a red card, before Romero went on to score the winning goal.
Two seasons on, controversy returned to the Cornella stadium. The scenario was different this time. Real Madrid took all three points, and Calatrava found himself at the heart of a fresh storm over what happened with Vinicius.