"Jesus, I don’t want to, but you’re making me think badly, man." Xabi Alonso’s words at the end of the match with Gil Manzano captured the frustration of trying to understand Dean Huijsen’s expulsion in the 30th minute. A controversial decision that defined a game in which Real Madrid had been in control after Mbappé’s opener.

Inside the dressing room, disbelief reigns. Players cannot comprehend how, with the referee more than 40 meters away and Militao in a covering position, such a decisive red card was brandished without hesitation. What frustrates them most is the perception of double standards: in other matches involving direct rivals, similar incidents are judged with far more leniency. “It’s a disgrace; he didn’t hesitate for a second and wasn’t even close to the play,” sums up the mood in the squad after the fourth matchday of La Liga.

Even Alonso, usually composed, showed his bewilderment in the press room: “The referee saw it one way, and the VAR should have seen it differently too. I’ve watched the replay, and I won’t change my mind.” His words echo a feeling shared throughout the squad — that the decision was made too quickly, without proper VAR review, and ultimately determined the match.

At Valdebebas, the response was immediate. Real Madrid is preparing a detailed dossier to present to FIFA, calling attention to what they see as recurring problems in Spanish refereeing.

But the frustration extends beyond Anoeta. Within the squad, there’s a growing belief that Real Madrid is judged more harshly than other contenders. What elsewhere is a yellow card often becomes a straight red for Los Blancos. The sense of competing on tilted ground stings deeply. Yet, amid the injustice, the squad has also found unity, turning adversity into collective strength — a reaction that was visible in their gritty performance at the Reale Arena.

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