Iturralde González rages against LaLiga over Güler's unpunished elbow in Real Madrid vs Sevilla

Real Madrid's win over Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabéu left behind a moment that continues to generate debate: Arda Güler's elbow on Peque moments before the 1-0 goal. Eduardo Iturralde González, a former international referee, lashed out at LaLiga, at the television production and at the VAR for failing to provide a close, clear image of an incident that could have led to the Turkish player's dismissal. Referee Busquets Ferrer did not punish the action on the pitch and Cuadra Fernández, in the VAR room, did not call him to review the play on the monitor.

• Güler hit Peque with his elbow before the 1-0 and the referee did not show a red card.
• The VAR did not call Busquets Ferrer to review the action on the monitor.
• Replays did not offer a close, clear shot of the blow.
• Iturralde González called the lack of footage "a rip-off by the league and the broadcast production."
• A sending-off would have left Real Madrid with ten men before opening the scoring.

What happened between Güler and Peque before Real Madrid's 1-0

The most talked-about moment of the match arrived when Arda Güler struck Peque with his elbow in a play that referee Busquets Ferrer did not punish with a red card. Shortly after, the Turkish player scored the opening goal. The referee did not see the blow live and the VAR, led by Cuadra Fernández, chose not to intervene so the incident could be reviewed on the monitor. The consequence was clear: a red card for Güler would have left Real Madrid with ten players before taking the lead.

Iturralde González's anger with LaLiga and the broadcast production

Speaking during the SER radio broadcast, Eduardo Iturralde González raised his voice against the lack of close-up replays on such a significant incident. The former referee found it unacceptable that a stadium like the Santiago Bernabéu, with its extensive camera setup, had no clear shot of the blow. The images shown were from wide angles, although the Turkish player's motion was visible in them.

"It's pathetic, pathetic, and let's stop with the half measures. If we are the best league in the world, this level of replays cannot be. It cannot be that if we pride ourselves on being the best league in the world, in a 'Super A' stadium, that is, 32 cameras, and we don't have a clear image of an aggression... This is a lie of a league."

The other controversial moments in Real Madrid vs Sevilla

Güler's elbow was not the only disputed action of the night. Real Madrid's second goal came after a possible foul on Ure, and the third originated from a highly questionable penalty awarded to Kylian Mbappé. However, the Turkish player's blow on Peque remained the most talked-about moment, both because of when it happened and the punishment the home player could have received. For Sevilla, the incident carried significant weight in how the match unfolded.

The criticism over camera coverage in LaLiga stadiums

Iturralde González went even further by comparing what happened at the Bernabéu to situations in other top-flight stadiums. The former referee pointed out that in venues with fewer resources, the absence of certain camera angles could be understood, but not in a top-level stadium with such a wide technical setup. For him, that difference is what makes the incident especially serious.

"It's a lie of a league, because if you tell me it happened in Alavés-Getafe, fine, it's the first division, with all due respect to Alavés, but it has the cameras it has. But a top stadium, five stars, ten stars, and that there is no replay of a possible aggression is a rip-off by the league and the broadcast production."

The incident that never went to the VAR monitor

The clash between Güler and Peque never led Busquets Ferrer to the monitor. Cuadra Fernández, in charge of the VAR for the match, did not alert the main referee to review the blow, even though the replays showed the Real Madrid player's motion. The controversy became a central talking point in the matchday's refereeing debate, and Iturralde González's name emerged as one of the protagonists because of how forcefully he delivered his analysis.