Sevilla FC have received their first official backing in a refereeing controversy this season. The Review Time report from the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has ruled that the VAR was wrong to intervene and disallow a Getafe goal in the eleventh matchday of LaLiga EA Sports.
The match, which ended in a 3-1 defeat for Sevilla, had a key moment in the first half. The on-field referee, Víctor García Verdura, did not call a foul after an incident involving Kike Salas and a Getafe attacker, but the assistant referee, Andrés García, raised his flag. The VAR, with Juan Martínez Munuera in the booth, recommended an on-field review and the referee ultimately disallowed the play, awarding a goal kick.
The official review
The weekly report from the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), known as Review Time, concluded the intervention was incorrect. The referee appointed for the analysis, González Fuertes, explained his assessment. "There is no foul in the Getafe goal, the assistant was hasty in raising the flag," said Fuertes. This statement contradicts the perception of Sevilla player Kike Salas, who commented at the time: "I see the linesman raise the flag and I believe it was a clear foul."
The error had a direct impact on the match's development, played last November 1st. Sevilla, who had taken the lead with a Kike Salas goal in the 19th minute, saw Getafe come back in the second half with goals from Enes Ünal, Martín Satriano and Orel Mangala. The defeat left the team in sixth place in the standings, with 17 points from five wins, two draws and four losses.
Campaign context
This backing comes at a time of inconsistency for the Andalusian side, who have a run of two wins, one draw and two losses in their last five outings. The team now faces their next match at home against Alavés on November 6th, a key fixture to try and steady the course before the international break. With 17 goals scored and 19 conceded, the defensive balance is one of the aspects to improve to maintain the fight for European spots, sitting 13 points behind leaders Barcelona.
The RFEF's confirmation does not change the result, but it does represent an institutional acknowledgment of a recurring complaint from the club about refereeing treatment. The team managed by Luis García Plaza will seek to leave controversies behind and focus on performance on the pitch, starting with the clash against the Basque side at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.
The report in full is at Marca - Primera
