VAR Referee Figueroa Vazquez Suspended After Mistaken Sending Off of Huijsen

Details: Marca reports that after the disputed match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad, where defender Dean Huijsen received a straight red card, the Technical Referees Committee (CTA) has admitted the decision was wrong. This incident drew significant criticism from Real Madrid, and VAR referee Figueroa Vazquez faced scrutiny for not advising referee Gil Manzano to review the call on the pitchside monitor.

The new CTA leadership, led by Fran Soto, has enhanced oversight of referees by introducing a grading and evaluation system for all matches. Referees will now be assessed by various experts, including the match delegate and CTA management, to identify errors and improve officiating standards. These initiatives aim to boost transparency and accountability in La Liga officiating.

In light of the Huijsen incident, Figueroa Vazquez will not officiate in upcoming matches, as part of the CTA’s response to clear errors. This event will be reviewed further this week, and the committee intends to clarify the sequence of events to show that refereeing mistakes are taken seriously.

Reminder: Real Madrid is preparing to file a complaint with FIFA regarding the referees.