Rayo Vallecano president breaks silence on refereeing mistakes against Barcelona – ‘They were wrong’

Rayo Vallecano’s president, Martin Presa, has shared his thoughts on the refereeing during his team’s match against Barcelona. 

Speaking in an interview with COPE’s ‘El Partidazo’ (h/t SPORT), he discussed the performance of referee Melero Lopez. 

While he did not fully agree with some of the decisions made during the game, he made it clear that Rayo Vallecano will not be filing a formal complaint with the Spanish Football Federation.

The issue according to Presa

Presa believes that the real issue lies in the rules of the game rather than with the referees themselves. According to him, the standard of officiating in Spain is among the best, not just in Europe but globally. 

“I think it is a legislative issue rather than a matter of arbitrators. We have the best referees, not in Europe, but in the world,” he began saying.

Even though errors can occur, he maintains confidence in the overall professionalism and competence of the referees.

He did, however, acknowledge that mistakes were made in certain critical moments of the match, particularly in relation to penalty decisions.

In his view, at least two decisions were incorrect, and possibly even a third. 

“For me, they were wrong in two actions and, if I dare say, even in a third,” he added.

These include the penalty awarded to Barcelona, an alleged foul by Hector Fort inside the box, and a goal that was ruled out for Jorge De Frutos.

Vallecano will not escalate the matter

Despite his concerns, Presa remains firm in his decision not to escalate the matter through an official statement.

By taking this approach, Rayo Vallecano’s president is choosing to maintain a composed and balanced stance. 

This contrasts with Real Madrid, who recently decided to release an official statement after their loss to Espanyol. Presa’s response suggests a commitment to trusting the system, even when decisions do not go in his team’s favour. 

Rather than fueling controversy, he appears focused on moving forward, accepting that errors are part of the game.