Girona made headlines on Sunday for their 5-2 thumping of Almeria, after coming from two down to beat the Andalusians. It puts them level on points with Real Madrid, and alone as the top scorers in the division.
However captain David Lopez also made waves after taking part in a flash interview, where he called referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias arrogant, and said that he was insulting the players – “I think all of the players in the first division know him now.”
This has been denied by the Referees Committee (CTA), who say that they have reviewed the recordings from the match, and at no point did he insult anyone or lack respect to anyone, as per Cadena SER.
Girona manager Michel Sanchez, perhaps trying to keep the peace, did not side with his captain after the match, as Relevo recount.
“It took me so long to come to the post-match interview because I was talking to the referee. I went to apologise for David’s statements. I think he made a mistake. They had a scuffle over two actions, one in which he did not call a foul, and the play in which he got the yellow card, and David got heated. I told him that, on behalf of all of us, I’m sorry.”
“The refereeing was good, and it had no influence at all. David, between not letting him put on the ring at the beginning of the game and not even letting him put on the bracelet, got heated. These are situations that we must control. We must try to help the referees. David is a spectacular professional, but he made a mistake for which we apologise.”
However the Madrid-based outlet tell a different story based on the anecdotes of other unnamed players.
“He’s like one of those old cops who doesn’t want anyone to say anything to him, one of those show-offs who wants to piss you off,” said a player whose team suffered two sending offs at his hands last season. This must be either a Celta Vigo player or a Valencia player, the only two sides who received two red cards from him last season.
Another backs this version of events up, claiming that ‘all of them are arrogant’. They also highlight an example where Ortiz Arias is seen pushing Real Mallorca’s Tino Kadewere last season.
Quien dude de las palabras de David Lopez sobre Ortiz Arias únicamente tiene que ponerse este vídeo donde el colegiado EMPUJA a Kadewere en un Celta-Mallorca y donde vuelve a EMPUJAR a Rubén Duarte en un Alavés-Betis.
Este tipo no debería pitar más.pic.twitter.com/UinfvyublH
— El Mago de las Botas Blancas (@ElMagoBotas_) October 22, 2023
With both sides saying different things, it is one word against another’s. Michel’s approach may frustrate Lopez, but no doubt he was trying to exercise prudence, and ensure it does not have repercussions for either his captain or his side.
