El Clasico controversy: Were Hernández Hernández’s decisions unfair to Barcelona? – Analysis | OneFootball

Being a referee in the modern game is quite an arduous task, with the spotlight almost always exclusively on you. It is particularly difficult in Spain, where fans act extremely emotional, and official media handles of certain clubs make compilation videos on their decisions ahead of season-defining games.

The pressure is immense, the scrutiny relentless, and with social media amplifying every misstep, it’s become a near-impossible job to officiate without controversy. That said, there has also been a lack of transparency in decision-making, and so many instances of the same kind of foul being met by different decisions for different teams.

Barcelona fans will feel aggrieved to have had a number of decisions go against them in recent seasons. There have been goals that have not been given despite the ball crossing the line, penalties not awarded, and so much more that a blog cannot fit in.

However, it must be said that even by the ridiculously high amount of refereeing decisions that have gone against them, what transpired in Barcelona’s 4-3 win over Real Madrid at the Montjuic stadium last night is beyond any rational explanation.

Frenkie de Jong had a bone to pick with the referees last night. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Twelve Against Eleven: Barceloba vs. Real Madrid (and the Referee)

The referee tasked with officiating the biggest game in Spain in La Liga this season – a potential title decider was Alejandro Hernández Hernández. Even before the game, RMTV launched a campaign against the official, questioning his allegiances and highlighting their low win record in games that he has managed.

It is a tactic that Spain’s second-best team this season has deployed rather well so far to put pressure on the referees ahead of the big games. Ultimately, one could say that Hernández buckled and had an absolute horror show last night.

Hansi Flick’s men were literally playing against 12 men last night in an attempt to get their hands on the La Liga title. If not for the dubious officiating, the scoreline could have been much more flattering in Barcelona’s favour.

Barcelona played against 12 men last night. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

A cascade of controversies!

Very early in the game, Hernández called a penalty in favour of Real Madrid after Wojciech Szczesny cleaned out Kylian Mbappe. There is no doubt that the Pole committed a foul, but Mbappe had been in an offside position when the ball was played through and was very close to Cubarsi to force him into making a decision.

The Spaniard, ultimately under the threat of Mbappe lurking, tried to play a ball back to his goalkeeper but ended up under hitting it. A case can be made that the play should have been called offside, considering how close the Frenchman was. However, both Hernández and the VAR thought otherwise.

Real Madrid’s second goal had controversy written all over it. Lamine Yamal had gone down trying to beat 2-3 opposition players and stayed on the floor, but a foul wasn’t called, and Ancelotti’s men scored from the same play.

Now, there isn’t much Hernández could have seen with his naked eye in this instance, but isn’t that what VAR is for? Fede Valverde clearly got a piece of Lamine in that sequence, and it is yet another goal that shouldn’t have been awarded to Los Blancos.

Then, of course, there was a moment where Raphinha was dragged inside the box to not allow him to reach a cross which wasn’t even looked into. Minutes later, when Kylian Mbappe came up with a dive that would have made Michael Phelps proud, Hernández blew his whistle without an iota of hesitation. Thankfully, that was overturned.

Ferran Torres, who was on his bike on one of his many runs in behind the defence throughout the game, was brought down by Aurelian Tchouameni while being the last man on the line, and yet, he was only awarded a yellow card and not a red.

In what world was this not a penalty? (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The worst of the worst: A penalty that never came

Finally, coming to THE decision among all the other horrendous decisions – it’s like picking a doll out of a sewer. Ferran Torres has a shot on goal that Tchouameni (who should not have even been on the pitch) blocks with his hands away from his body.

The VAR calls Hernández to the screen to have another look at his decision not to award a penalty. Yet, the Spanish referee chose to stick with his original decision and not give Barcelona a spot-kick despite a blatant hand-ball.

The icing on the cake!

If you thought all these decisions were horrendous, the VAR team reserved their best for the last. It was something that emerged after the game, and without a doubt, it was the icing on a cake that Hernández baked through the 90 minutes.

Fermin Lopez thought he had put the game to bed in stoppage time by scoring what would have been the fifth goal of Barcelona on the night. It was an absolute screamer of a goal, but had to be chalked off, rightfully, for handball.

Barcelona overcame all odds to beat Real Madrid 4-3 at the Montjuic. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

What came as a shocker, though, wasn’t the decision to rule the goal out but an audio from the VAR room that emerged in which an unnamed voice was heard going “Thank goodness” after spotting the handball. Bias just doesn’t get bigger, does it?

Sempre Barca’s Analysis:

There’s no denying that refereeing is a high-pressure role and that mistakes happen. But what took place last night went beyond simple human error; it was, in every sense, a breakdown in integrity and competence at the highest level of Spanish football.

In the most crucial match of the season for Barcelona, they weren’t just up against Real Madrid. They were battling officiating decisions that tilted the scales time and again.

If La Liga is serious about preserving its credibility and competitive balance, raising the standard of officiating is no longer optional; it’s essential. Let’s hope this was rock bottom. Because Spanish football, its players, and most of all, its fans, deserve far better.