Spanish football lived one of the darkest episodes in its recent history. The referee Javier Alberola Rojas, in charge of directing the Madrid derby between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid on Day 7 of LaLiga, surprised the world with a shocking confession: he admitted to having intentionally favored Atlético and harmed Real Madrid during the game. But the surprise did not end there; Alberola Rojas also revealed the identity of the person who bribed him to influence his arbitration.
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The match, played at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, began with an early advantage for Atlético de Madrid, thanks to a goal by Robin Le Normand in the 14th minute. However, Real Madrid quickly responded quickly with goals from Kylian Mbappé and Arda Güler, getting ahead on the scoreboard. The first half concluded with a 2-2 draw, after a goal by Alexander Sørloth for Atlético in the added time.
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The second half was marked by arbitration decisions that generated controversy. In the 51st minute, the referee sanctioned a penalty in favor of Atlético, executed by Julián Álvarez, who scored his first goal from the game. Subsequently, in the 63rd minute, Álvarez scored again, this time from the open game, putting Atlético ahead 4-2. Finally, in the added time, Antoine Griezmann sealed the victory with a goal left by the score in 5-2 in favor of Atlético.
However, what seemed to be another game in the intense Madrid rivalry became an unprecedented scandal when Alberola Rojas publicly admitted to having favored Atlético de Madrid and harmed Real Madrid intentionally. The revelation that he had received bribes to influence his arbitration unleashed a wave of outrage among Real Madrid fans, who demanded justice and transparency.
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The reaction did not wait. The president of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, strongly condemned the actions of the referee and filed a formal complaint with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), requesting an exhaustive investigation of the incident. Pérez described the situation as a “serious threat to the integrity of Spanish football” and demanded disciplinary measures against Alberola Rojas and any other person involved in the scandal.
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This case has questioned the transparency and impartiality of arbitration in LaLiga, generating a debate about the need for reforms in supervision and control systems. The revelation of a bribe in one of the most emblematic matches of Spanish football has left an indelible brand in the history of the competition and has opened a dark chapter that will require a deep reflection and action by the Spanish football authorities.
Meanwhile, the football community awaits the development of research and the possible sanctions that can be imposed. The integrity of the king sport is at stake, and this scandal could be the catalyst for significant changes in the way the matches are managed and equity in professional football is guaranteed.
