VAR audio reveals why Huijsen saw red in Madrid derby

LaLiga released the referee audio behind two flashpoints at the Metropolitano, including the upgrade of Huijsen's yellow to red.

D. Huijsen

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What happened. The RFEF and LaLiga published VAR audio from the Atlético de Madrid–Real Madrid derby, covering two disputed decisions. One clip explains the correction of Cristian 'Cuti' Romero's booking, the other the upgrade of Dean Huijsen's yellow card to a red.

• VAR called a review over a suspected mistaken-identity error, not a possible red for Romero.
• Referee Ortiz cancelled Bellingham's yellow and booked Romero instead.
• Huijsen's yellow became red for denying a goalscoring opportunity, with the penalty upheld.

“Voy a cambiar la amarilla por la roja y mantengo el penalti”

— Referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz

The recordings were made public days after the fixture, offering the clearest official explanation of the derby's contentious calls.

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