Elche CF finds itself lingering at the bottom of the standings, not solely by its own merit but also because external factors have repeatedly influenced the team’s ability to compete on a level playing field. The squad has shown grit, yet inconsistent officiating decisions and unfavorable conditions have undermined momentum and made it harder to climb the table.
Franchisees within the club have faced persistent disputes with refereeing and VAR calls, which have, at times, hampered their ability to perform under the same conditions as rival teams. These challenges have contributed to a sense that the deck is stacked against them, complicating every match plan and putting extra weight on an already difficult schedule.
The fifteenth round featured last Monday’s clash with Mallorca, a game that underscored the pattern of adversity. Elche conceded two penalties while Mallorca received one, with the second penalty effectively decided in a way that raised questions about consistency. Lucas Boyé was sent off shortly after entering the field, a red card that arrived with less than four minutes of playtime remaining. The timing and sequence of events intensified the perception of an uneven environment surrounding the team, complicating their efforts to secure a positive result.
In just over a week, Elche watched as a trio of penalties went against them while none favored them, amplifying the sense that the balance of officiating was skewed. The team also faced multiple dismissals, accumulating minutes that translated into almost two full matches with one fewer player on the pitch. Opponents and observers alike point to these episodes as a defining factor in the team’s struggles this season.
There is, however, a broader truth that cannot be ignored. Since Elche earned promotion to Spain’s top division in 2020, the statistics reveal a troubling pattern. Across the three seasons in the top flight, Elche has faced a total of 24 penalties for and against, with a heavy tilt toward penalties against them this year and in recent campaigns. The data highlight a pattern of actions that have disproportionately impacted the team, underscoring a challenging dynamic in the enforcement of penalties in Elche’s matches.
The 2022-2023 La Liga campaign opened with tension from the first whistle. In a match at the Benito Villamarín, Elche’s John Chetauya was sent off in the 13th minute, leaving the team to endure a lengthy period with ten players while the scoreboard stayed goalless. The result ended in a 3-0 defeat, a reminder of how quickly a game can tilt when decisions go against a side already working with a man down.
In a later encounter against Real Sociedad, Martínez Valero witnessed a notable moment in the 33rd minute when a penalty was awarded for Mojica’s foul on Ali Cho. The match drifted to a 0-1 deficit in favor of San Sebastian, threatening to derail Elche’s efforts to steady the ship. A stoppage-time intervention by Mikel Merino, normally a bright spark for Sociedad, was saved by Edgar Badía, preserving hope even as the goal still arrived.
Two days afterward, at the same home ground, Athletic Bilbao pressed forward and, after aVAR review in the 14th minute, another maximum penalty was given to stop Nico Williams. Sancet converted from the spot, and the visitors left with a 0-2 lead, a score that would eventually become 1-4 as the match wore on, leaving Elche to chase a gap that proved too wide.
On the sixth matchday, a visit to Camp Nou to face Barcelona saw Gonzalo Verdú sent off in the 14th minute. The Franjiverdes faced an uphill battle with a reduced squad, eventually falling 3-0 as the match wore on and the numerical disadvantage told its story.
The season’s drama intensified when the Pizarro Gomez controversy surfaced. In the match against Mallorca, the scrutiny of refereeing and VAR decisions reached a tipping point. Early in the game, Pedro Bigas earned a penalty for Antonio Sánchez, a decision that seemed questionable and was later scrutinized through video review. Edgar Badía, who has twice faced setbacks in recent seasons, saved a penalty from Kosovo’s Muriqi, but the tally continued to swing in Mallorca’s favor as the game progressed。
In the 60th minute, Boyé’s arrival on the pitch was followed by an unintentional kick that led to his sending off after VAR review, a moment that further fueled the belief that misfortune was piling up for Elche. Just nine minutes later, a major controversial moment occurred when Badía collided with Raíllo as the ball neared the middle of the field, a clash that Mallorca’s camp described as decisive and that left fans stunned. Muriqi capitalized on the opportunity to level the score, and the match ended with a draw that stretched Elche’s winless run and tightened the tension around officiating controversies.
Not long after, a decision involving Muriqi and a subsequent incident led to a second controversial dismissal, with both teams ending the game a player short. The sequence of punishments and expulsions has become a tangible storyline, highlighting what fans and analysts perceive as uneven treatment in Elche’s fixtures compared with opponents’ outcomes under similar circumstances.
Gonzalo Verdú, the team captain, has reached a point of fatigue and chose not to chase exhaustive explanations. He called for patience, expressing hope that luck would swing in favor and that time would prove the team’s approach to be right. He also warned that the players would not broadcast every grievance but would continue their work with the same resolve. He spoke of a shared feeling that the squad deserves better treatment from refereeing and called for continued collective effort rather than dwelling on what cannot be controlled.
Pedro Bigas echoed the sentiment with a candid line about the unpredictability of arbitral decisions, insisting that the team would not be swayed and would press on with pride. Roger Martí offered a parallel sentiment, acknowledging the emotional toll while insisting the squad must persevere and fight with the same intensity, because that is the only sustainable path toward results and restoration of confidence.