‘I am so sick of this’

Sunday, January 16, 2022 at 10:10 PM• Mart van Mourik

Ronald de Boer cannot understand that Real Madrid were awarded a penalty just minutes after the break. In the final battle for the Supercopa de España, the Royal 2-0 too strong for Athletic Club, partly thanks to a penalty used by Karim Benzema. During the review on Ziggo Sports the analyst expresses his dissatisfaction with the decision of arbitrator César Soto and the video referee on duty to give the penalty to the Madrilenians that preceded the 2-0.

At a 1-0 score, Benzema shot from the edge of the box at the hand of the sliding Yeray Álvarez. Although Soto initially did not penalize the handball, after viewing the video images he decided to put the ball on the spot. Benzema then made a cold-blooded hit and closed the game. Afterwards, the feeling of incomprehension prevails in the studio. “If you’re going to give such penalties…”, Jan van Halst starts off. “Honestly, I think this is so ridiculous. The ball doesn’t go to the goal and it’s obviously very unlucky on his hand.”

“This makes me so nauseous…”, De Boer adds. “You slide and you can’t do that with your hands behind your back. It’s a natural movement you make and your hand just goes with it. Benzema first hits the ball with his right leg against his left leg, so that Álvarez gets the ball completely unconscious on his arm. And then the VAR will intervene for this… I am really getting so tired of this.”

“I think a VAR is fine, let that be clear,” continues De Boer. “But whoever was behind the screen really didn’t play football. After the penalty kick, which he took superbly, it happened. So hard and so pure. In the ‘little bit’, as they should be.” De Boer does agree with the arbitrators that Real Madrid conceded a penalty in the 86th minute, also because of a handball. Raúl García headed on the arm of Éder Militão, who seemed to prevent a hit. Soto gave the center defender red and put the ball on the spot for Athletic. “I understood the decision here, because that ball could have gone in. I know it’s the rule, but I thought that red card was nonsense,” concludes the frustrated De Boer.