The referees made a mistake with the player in the La Liga match: how it affected the result.

Crowdfunding in the Betis vs Real Sociedad match

According to The Sun: Sofyan Amrabat found himself at the center of controversy following an incident in the match between Betis and Real Sociedad when his teammate Natan escaped a red card.

The misunderstanding occurred in the 34th minute when Natan fouled Oyarzabal and received a yellow card for stopping a counterattack.

Alamy Rex Getty

However, instead of punishing Natan, referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer showed a yellow card to Amrabat, who actually did not play a role in that moment.

Subsequent events

In the 38th minute, Natan received another yellow card for a foul on Kubo, which would typically lead to a red card and his dismissal.

But again, no dismissal occurred, and the confusion in the situation only increased.

The Real Sociedad players were the first to notice this mistake and approached the referee for clarification, but nothing changed.

The game continued, and both teams continued to play with equal numbers.

Television broadcasters and analysts also noted this mistake, clearly showing that it was Natan who fouled Oyarzabal, while Amrabat only lightly touched him as Oyarzabal was already falling.

This situation could have resulted in Betis being left with ten players for the remainder of the match, but due to the referee's mistake, the game continued unchanged.

According to the rules of VAR, 'wrong identity' can be reviewed and corrected.

However, in this case, VAR did not intervene, and the mistake remained uncorrected.

Fans and players were disappointed by the lack of action, further intensifying the controversies surrounding the match, which Betis won 3-1.

Previous incidents

This is not the first time Amrabat has been involved in controversy over a dismissal.

In January 2024, he was sent off under unusual circumstances during a match for Morocco against South Africa in the Africa Cup of Nations.

At that time, the player, who was contracted to Manchester United, received a yellow card in the 64th minute of the match.

Then, in the 94th minute, with the score at 1-0, Amrabat was punished again for a foul, leaving the referee with no choice but to send him off the field.

Although VAR reviewed this situation, after a lengthy delay, instead of canceling the yellow card, a direct red card was recommended for Amrabat.

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