Leaked VAR audio intensifies controversy after referee inexplicably lets Vinicius Junior elbow go

The controversy surrounding Real Madrid‘s win over Almeria on Sunday continues to burn brightly, after leaked footage from the game that was not released by the RFEF made it into the media. The audio in question shows that VAR referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez did see Vinicius Junior ‘hit him in the face’ as he says, but neglects to inform the referee on the pitch.

Already, Almeria had been furious over the fact that Real Madrid had had a goal given, a penalty given, and a goal of their own disallowed, although this last one was correctly so according to the consensus from refereeing experts.

However one incident that was not reviewed by VAR shows Vinicius tangle with Alejandro Pozo, and based on the footage, elbow or forearm him in the face. Hernandez looked at the incident, and says ‘we need to evaluate that’, before confirming that he ‘waves his arm and hits him in the face’.

El árbitro Hernández Hernández vio esta agresión de Vinicius en el VAR y no se atrevieron a sancionar nada: "Le bracea y le da un golpe en la cara". Uno de los mayores robos del Real Madrid de Florentino Pérez. Tremendo. pic.twitter.com/ePCpZIXCeF

— Fonsi Loaiza (@FonsiLoaiza) January 22, 2024

After doing so, a short pause ensues, and Hernandez tells the video operator ‘let’s go back to the live feed’. So far there has been no suggestion that the audio is doctored from any of the outlets carrying it.

The decision is obviously down to the referee to decide whether the contact is worthy of a sending off, but generally contact with a player’s face off the ball fits the criteria for a dismissal. The indignation at Almeria will only continue to grow upon seeing such a seemingly inexplicable oversight.

Equally, the fact that the audio made it into the public domain without the RFEF wanting it to raises important questions too. Who exactly leaked the audio, and how to prevent these leaks are important questions to be answered. If they cannot solve the leaks, it threatens to compromise the competition.