CTA sidesteps the Cucho-Ximo incident in Riazor

The Referees’ Technical Committee (CTA) chose not to weigh in on a flashpoint from Riazor: the foul by Cucho Hernández on Ximo Navarro that Deportivo argued should have been a red card. Sport says that after the check from Las Rozas for possible punishment, the on-field referee, Soto Grado, called it as a foul and did not show a yellow.

What CTA did (and didn’t) do

According to Sport, in its show Tiempo de Revisión, the CTA devoted most of its time to other controversial incidents from the weekend, but left out the key moment from the Deportivo La Coruña match. The CTA didn’t address who was correct—whether Soto Grado’s call on the pitch or the VOR room, which flagged the possibility of a direct red for “grave rough play.”

Sport also notes that the conversation was later made public by the Federation past midnight. In it, the referee justified his decision with a line reported by Sport: “Cucho touches the ball and that player puts his head there.” He asked for a short close-up first and then a wider view to understand how the defender arrived, and stuck with his original choice even though Ximo Navarro was bleeding.

Sport further adds that after being asked to review the incident via VAR, Soto Grado ultimately stepped away from changing the call, despite the evidence being shown on the big screens at the stadium. The crowd reaction was loud until halftime, and Sport says the only thing that softened Deportivo’s anger was the fact that they managed to draw.

Where the CTA focused instead

While it ignored the Riazor incident, Sport says the CTA did cover the Atlético de Madrid–Real Madrid derby and also moments from Málaga–Villarreal and Sevilla–Barcelona before moving on to LaLiga Hypermotion.