Sevilla are maintaining their complaint over broadcast fairness following the VAR controversy in their 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid on 18 October. Journalist Juanma Castaño has clarified that, while television did not replay certain incidents, the video match official could review them as many times as needed.

The match at the Santiago Bernabéu, corresponding to the ninth round of La Liga, left several refereeing decisions questioned by the Andalusian side. Sevilla believe Arda Güler should have been sent off for a headbutt on Peque before scoring the opening goal. They also contested a potential foul by Ibrahima Konaté on Robbie Ure in the build-up to Kylian Mbappé's second goal, and a later penalty claim involving the French forward.

Explanation on footage access

Juanma Castaño explained the technical procedure to clear up doubts. "The VAR in Las Rozas receives all the broadcast cameras. Not just what is being broadcast on TV, all of them," he stated. He added regarding the Konaté incident: "The fact that TV didn't replay the possible foul by Konaté on Robbie Ure the other day does not mean the VAR referee didn't see it. He could have watched the replay as many times as he wanted."

For his part, Sergio Carranza, LaLiga's production chief, defended the broadcast's decision to prioritise live action and Mbappé's goal, denying any external pressure. Arbitral sources attributed the lack of intervention on the Güler incident to the absence of a clear shot of the contact point.

Season context

The defeat in Madrid leaves Sevilla in sixth place in the table, with 14 points from nine games. Quique Sánchez Flores's team has a record of four wins, two draws and three losses, and sits 13 points behind leaders Barcelona. Their next fixture is against 10th-placed Osasuna on 26 October at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, a key match to rebuild confidence.

The final scoreline last Saturday reflected the home side's superiority, with goals from Arda Güler, a Kylian Mbappé brace, one from the penalty spot, and another from Yan Diomande. Sevilla's consolation came from Manuel Bueno Sebastián in the 80th minute. This result is part of an inconsistent run, with just one win in their last five league matches. The team needs to correct their course quickly to stay in touch with the top positions, which can be tracked on the standings page.

The report in full is at Mundo Deportivo