Real Madrid protested a possible penalty from Laguardia to Marcelo on the brink of halftime. Television images leave no room for doubt. The Alavés defender grabbed the Brazilian by the hair. Neither the collegiate Cordero Vega nor González González in the VOR room indicated anything.
For Iturralde González, referee analyst for As and Carrusel Deportivo, the penalty is clear, after watching it on television. “It is a clear penalty. He puts his hand in her hair, right. It is very difficult for the referee to see. It has to be seen by the VAR and it must be considered that a hair grab if it has disproportionate strength may be red, although on this occasion there is no excessive strength. The VAR does not enter because it does not consider that it is grabbing it by the hair, but instead it puts its hand on it. Therefore, it is not clear and manifest. “
The Movistar cameras then captured Marcelo talking to the referee in the changing room tunnel when he returned from the changing rooms, explaining how they grabbed his hair. They also revealed what Marcelo said during the game: “He pulled my hair! What a shame!” The referee approached the player and explained the play: “He puts his hand on you but keeps running …”.