Atleti flirted with mockery in Elche and faced yet another chapter in the VAR saga
slapstick would be a fair descriptor for the mood as Atleti arrived in Elche, carrying the fatigue of a team with a ten-point cushion in the league and only two games remaining. It looked as if the Copa del Rey win was hanging over them like a long, loud hangover. The match felt disconnected from them, as if the second place fight were a nuisance or a summer pastime. It was a performance that screamed “In” in the wrong way—intended but ultimately ineffective. The player on show appeared slow, predictable, and sluggish, with a troubling edge of lethargy that hinted at a deeper problem: a troubling lack of physical intensity.
Atleti went into the game holding a lead over a team that looked ready to be sent back to the bench. Yet another factor to consider, not offered as an excuse but as context, was the arbitration. This felt like a typical, forgettable day at the office for a club that expects more. The result? Nothing gained. Absolute zero. The tendency to normalize questionable refereeing in every fixture is a worrying pattern, and the media often helps reinforce it. The Elche goal included a foul on Koke that appeared to precede a decision by the VAR operator, Bric or not, which went unpenalized. The sequence worsened when Elche’s goalkeeper Badía clipped Giménez inside the box, leaving the Uruguayan on the turf, visibly shaken. The VAR reviewer paused for a moment in the room before signaling a non-call, a judgment that many felt did not reflect what happened on the grass. It is the impression left by the system—dubious calls, inconsistent standards, and a sense that the competition could be manipulated by the scripts of a few officials—that fuels the perception of bias and concern across the league. The operational culture around VAR, critics argue, is shaped by a system of patronage and corporate interests that undermines the integrity of the matchday experience.
In terms of the on-field narrative, Atleti did not secure any reward for their efforts in Elche. The game evolved into one of those fixtures where supporters might reasonably have expected their players to recess to Madrid with heads held high, but instead they faced a performance that failed to capitalize on opportunities and exposed vulnerabilities. Even with a poor showing, the perception that the officials saved the day for the hosts is hard to ignore. The stark conclusion is that the VAR scene—its timing, its interpretations, and its consistency—left the away side short of what they deserved and, in many viewers’ eyes, short of what the league should expect from fair officiating. The sense of injustice was not soothed by a late surge or a bright moment; it lingered as a reminder of a flawed referee’s night at the VAR desk, where a pivotal moment was deemed non-eventful when it clearly warranted closer scrutiny. The result is a narrative that leaves a sour taste: a system that appears to be more about spectacle than substance, more about headlines than fairness, more about procedural bravado than practical clarity.
What follows is not a call to forget but a call to reflect. The club, and its supporters, should not shrug off this outcome. Three clear points deserve attention: first, there remains a need for reinforcements at several positions to sustain the campaign at a high level; second, when Griezmann is not contributing as expected, the squad needs fresh tactical ideas and new dynamic players to keep the attack unpredictable; and third, and perhaps most crucial, the response to the VAR process must be louder and more concrete. A reform-focused approach is needed—one that demands a cleaner, more accountable system with consistent application across matches. This is not about blaming individuals but about elevating the standards of officiating and the transparency of the review process so the game can regain its credibility and its excitement.
In short, the Elche result should energize a broader discussion about how the league manages officiating and technology. It is a prompt for strategic moves by the club, a nudge toward better game plans, and a clarion call to demand a fairer, more dependable system for all teams and fans who deserve a level playing field.