Sevilla furious after Sangante red card: VAR stays silent on controversial Espanyol decision

Sevilla added another chapter to their growing frustration with refereeing decisions during this weekend's visit to RCDE Stadium. In the 55th minute, match official Sesma Espinosa sent off Arouna Sangante with a straight red card for a challenge on Roberto Fernández, despite the centre-back having won the ball cleanly. The VAR, led by Trujillo Suárez, chose not to intervene, leaving the Andalusian side to play the final half hour with ten men.

• Sangante made contact with the ball before reaching Roberto Fernández, but the referee saw a last-man foul.
• The VAR did not call Sesma Espinosa to the monitor even though replays clearly showed the defender won the ball.
• Luis García Plaza protested heavily and received a yellow card.
• It is Sevilla's second red card in the opening weeks of LaLiga, following Kike Salas' dismissal against Rayo Vallecano.

How Sangante's red card against Espanyol unfolded

The move started with Edu Expósito drifting past Lucien Agoumé with a clever flick and threading a pass behind the Sevilla back line. Sangante, back in the starting eleven, intercepted the play decisively and stripped the ball away just before Roberto Fernández could face Odysseas Vlachodimos one on one. The referee, however, ruled that the defender had committed a foul as the last man and pulled out the red card without hesitation.

Replays from multiple angles showed clearly that the defender's initial contact was with the ball. Even so, the video assistant referee did not ask the on-field official to review the incident on the pitchside monitor, sparking fury on the visitors' bench.

Luis García Plaza's reaction and the anger on Sevilla's bench

The Sevilla manager made no attempt to hide his displeasure with events in Cornellà. His protests from the touchline were heated enough for Sesma Espinosa to book him. García Plaza had arrived already upset by the previous matchday, when a penalty on Kike Salas by Hjulmand was not awarded against Atlético de Madrid.

It is a penalty. The other day they made a huge fuss about the sending off, which maybe was not one, so I hope they show this action in LaLiga's video as well. It was a very clear penalty. The other day it was a very quick play, a red card is given and the fuss that was made about it... it seems like we have been the most favoured team in football history. I hope they now say it is a penalty.

The coach's words capture the frustration building inside a dressing room that feels key decisions are going against them early in the season. The penalty not given against Atlético and Sangante's dismissal add to the red card shown to Kike Salas on the opening day against Rayo Vallecano.

Sevilla's second red card in the early weeks of LaLiga

Playing a man down against Espanyol was not an isolated incident for the Andalusian club. On matchday one, Kike Salas had already seen red against Rayo Vallecano, forcing the team to battle from a disadvantage early on. This time, Sangante's dismissal came with more than half an hour left and disrupted García Plaza's tactical plan.

Being reduced to ten men at RCDE Stadium is a heavy punishment for any visiting side. Sevilla were forced to sit deep and abandon much of their attacking intent, making it difficult to push for a victory at a ground that has historically been tough for travelling teams.

The VAR standard and Sevilla's sense of injustice

The lack of intervention from Trujillo Suárez in the VAR room is the hardest aspect for the club to understand. With images showing a clear touch of the ball, the decision to uphold the red card without even suggesting an on-field review left Sevilla's players and staff baffled.

The feeling of being wronged is nothing new. Spanish refereeing is under constant criticism for inconsistency in similar situations, and Sevilla consider themselves one of the victims of that lack of uniformity. The gap between what is called on the pitch and what replays prove has once again put the spotlight on whether video refereeing actually delivers sporting justice.

What is at stake for Sevilla after the Cornellà setback

The match against Espanyol was a real chance for García Plaza's side to secure a second win of the season and build momentum after the demanding clash with Atlético de Madrid. The red card changed the script and forced Sevilla to defend the result with one less player, dropping valuable points in their push to compete near the top of the table.

The fixture list offers no respite. The coming weeks will test the mental strength of a squad that feels punished by officiating and needs to refocus to avoid falling behind in the standings. Two red cards in three matchdays are a burden García Plaza will try to address, even if the origin of both dismissals remains a talking point.