Barcelona's suspicions about referee Juan Martinez Munuera
There was no penalty for Casemiro on Messi and Madrid got a cheap one from Lenglet
El disgusto del FC Barcelona por la derrota azulgrana (1-3) ante el Real Madrid tuvo un sabor doblemente amargo, porque entienden en el seno del club que sus peores presagios en torno al árbitro del clásico, Juan Martínez Munuera, se vieron confirmados. El Barça considera que el colegiado de Benidorm lo perjudicó en el clásico con su gestión del VAR, unos errores que ya se dieron el pasado curso en Copa y Supercopa
Para el Barça, una vez más, Martínez Munuera no aplicó el mismo rasero a la hora de utilizar (o no) el VAR a la hora de juzgar las jugadas en área barcelonista o área madridista.
Los agravios nacen de temporadas atrás, sin ir más lejos de la reciente 2019-20. En el Barça recuerdan dos actuaciones decisivas y perjudiciales para sus intereses por parte de Martínez Munuera. En la semifinal de la Supercopa de España ante el Atlético de Madrid, anuló un gol a Leo Messi al interpretar que había jugado el balón con el brazo. El duelo acabó con una ajustada y sorprendente victoria rojiblanca.
Barcelona's disappointment after the 3-1 Clasico defeat against Real Madrid had a doubly bitter taste, because they think, within the club, that their worst omens around the referee, Juan Martínez Munuera, were confirmed. Barça believe the Benidorm referee harmed them in the Clasico with his management of the VAR - errors that already occurred last year in the Copa del Rey and Super Cup.
For Barça, once again, Martínez Munuera did not apply the same standards when using (or not looking at) the VAR when judging the plays in the Barcelona area and the Madrid area.
The grievances are born from seasons ago, without even needing to go further than 2019-20. At Barça they remember two decisive and detrimental actions to their interests by Martínez Munuera. In the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup against Atlético de Madrid, he annulled a goal by Leo Messi by interpreting that he had played the ball with his arm. Atletico won a tight game.
IN THE CUP TOO
A situation similar to what happened against Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. Martínez Munuera did not award a penalty from Capa on Frenkie De Jong in the 63rd minute, at 0-0. Iñaki Williams scored a late goal to win it.
On the other hand, Martínez Munuiera's mistakes in Real matches were usually for Madrid. Thus, in the game against Sevilla (2-1) he annulled a goal by Luuk De Jong that seemed legal; and in the clash against Getafe (1-0), two similar moments between Olivera and Carvajal were interpreted in opposite ways depending on the area: penalty in Getafe's box, no punishment in Madrid's.
The situation was reproduced in the Clasico. The Alicante referee did not want to review Casemiro's tackle on Leo Messi on VAR, which was a clear foul and would have given the Blaugrana the option to take the lead; and on the other hand, he did review Clément Lenglet's tussle with Sergio Ramos, judging that it was produced with enough force to blow for a penalty.
Munuera is the brother of a referee - Miguel- and the son of a referee, Juan Ramón Martínez Martínez, who was also a sports councillor for Benidorm. It is said that he is a supporter of Madrid and some countrymen from the Alicante town call Juan, with irony, 'the son of the Ultrasur', and recall that the, now international, referee took his first football steps in the Peña Los Amigos, (Madrid), before picking up a whistle.
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