Dean Huijsen Questions VAR After Madrid Derby: “There Would Have Been a Huge Uproar”

Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen has voiced his frustration over several refereeing decisions from the Madrid derby against Atlético, arguing that the reaction would have been far greater if the controversial calls had gone against Real Madrid.

The derby ended in a 2-1 victory for Atlético Madrid, with the match becoming increasingly controversial after the break. Huijsen was sent off following a VAR review for bringing down Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area, while another incident involving Kang-in Lee and Fede Valverde also attracted significant attention. 

Huijsen unhappy with VAR intervention

Speaking after the derby, Huijsen questioned why VAR did not intervene when Kang-in Lee challenged Fede Valverde.

The Real Madrid defender argued that the technology should be used to correct incidents that may have been missed by the referee, particularly when there is video evidence available.

Huijsen also suggested that the reaction would have been considerably stronger if the same decisions had gone in Real Madrid’s favour rather than Atlético’s. His comments came after a match that saw several contentious refereeing moments. 

Valverde injury adds to Real Madrid frustration

The incident involving Lee became even more significant after Real Madrid confirmed that Valverde had suffered a third-degree sprain in his left ankle.

The club did not initially provide a specific recovery timetable, saying that his progress would be monitored. 

The refereeing debate also continued after the match. Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees later acknowledged that the failure to send off Lee for the challenge on Valverde was an error involving both the referee and VAR. 

Huijsen sees red in the second half

Huijsen himself was at the centre of another major decision.

Early in the second half, Giuliano Simeone broke into the penalty area and was brought down by the Real Madrid centre-back. The referee initially showed Huijsen a yellow card and awarded a penalty.

After a VAR review, the decision was changed to a red card, leaving Real Madrid with ten players. Atlético subsequently converted the penalty and used their numerical advantage to take control of the contest. 

Atlético take advantage in the derby

The dismissal proved costly for Real Madrid as Atlético capitalised on the extra man.

After taking the lead from the penalty spot, Atlético added another goal through Jonathan David, while Real Madrid managed to pull one back late on through Antonio Rüdiger.

Despite late pressure from Madrid, Atlético held on to claim the derby victory. 

The defeat left Real Madrid on 15 points after seven La Liga matches, six points behind leaders Barcelona at the time of the latest standings reported after the derby. 

What comes next for Real Madrid?

The derby defeat has left Real Madrid dealing with both the result and the fallout from the refereeing decisions.

With Valverde’s injury adding another concern and Huijsen facing the consequences of his dismissal, the club will now have to manage a difficult period as the La Liga season continues.

The refereeing debate is also unlikely to disappear quickly, particularly after the authorities acknowledged an error over the Lee-Valverde incident.