Spain's Referee Committee Rules Lee Kang-In Should Have Received Red Card in Madrid Derby

Spain's Technical Committee of Referees confirmed Lee Kang-In should have been dismissed for a challenge that left Federico Valverde with a grade three ankle sprain.

Spain's Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) announced Tuesday that Lee Kang-In should have been sent off during Atlético Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Metropolitano. The committee’s weekly review determined that referee Miguel Ortiz Arias committed a "clear and obvious error" by failing to dismiss Lee for a first-half tackle on Federico Valverde. The challenge resulted in a grade three ankle sprain for Valverde, ruling the midfielder out of Uruguay's upcoming international friendlies.

In the same review, the CTA supported the decision to only issue a yellow card to Cristian Romero following a VAR intervention for a clash with Jude Bellingham. The committee also upheld the red card shown to Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen. That dismissal occurred after Huijsen grabbed the arm of Giuliano Simeone without a possibility of playing the ball, leading to a penalty that Atlético converted for the opening goal.

Following the match, Real Madrid coach José Mourinho utilized printed photos during his press conference to argue that both Lee and Romero deserved dismissals. The loss leaves Real Madrid in fourth place in LaLiga with 12 points after seven games, trailing leaders Barcelona by six points. The CTA noted that while the VAR failed to correct the Lee incident, it acted properly in ensuring Romero was cautioned for treading on Bellingham's knee.