Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos has revealed his disbelief that Barcelona counterpart Gavi was not sent off during Sunday’s Clasico.
Barça defeated Los Blancos 2-1 at Camp Nou to move 12 points clear atop La Liga.
Amid the backdrop of Barcelona’s Negreira refereeing scandal, the match was not without controversy. Real Madrid were denied a late winner prior to Franck Kessie’s eventual stoppage-time settler, with Marco Asensio’s strike ruled out by VAR for a very marginal offside.
Referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea also dismissed appeals for Barcelona’s Gavi to be sent off when body-checked Ceballos in an incident off the ball.
Ceballos was quizzed about this decision when speaking to El Chiringuito, laughing: “Well I think it’s clear no, it’s red?
“Because it’s a play where he goes for me without the ball, the team was attacking. It’s true that I got up a bit quickly, so De Burgos didn’t pay too much importance to it, but we have talked about it and we feel it’s a clear red.”
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With Ceballos and Gavi reconvening for international duty with Spain this week, new La Roja boss Luis de la Fuente has since ordered the two to make amends.
“The coach was aware that we had had our ups and downs. He told us to talk about it, and that is what we have done. I wasn’t lucky enough to meet him. We are from two towns that are next to each other. He lives 10 kilometers from where I live. You know how we are in the south. We are very hot-tempered,” Ceballos said to Marca.
“It’s all working out. We have discussed it. Everything that happens on the pitch stays there. We have to go in the same direction. If the good atmosphere and good vibes aren’t there, I’m not going to run for him on the pitch and he’s not going to run for me. This must be put to one side. We share the same position. Now we are partners.”
Gavi went out of his way to bring down Ceballos, but you’d be hard pushed into believing he should have received a straight red.
Sure, it was aggressive and without intent to play the ball (obviously), but it has been overblown by the Real Madrid camp. Gavi should have been booked, and if anything the challenge falls into the ‘orange card’ or ‘sin bin’ debates.
