Real Madrid are still dealing with the storm created by their Champions League exit, but the story around the defeat is beginning to shift, and not in the way many supporters expected.
Much of the immediate reaction after the loss to Bayern Munich centred on referee Slavko Vincic and the controversial red card shown to Eduardo Camavinga.
With the match finely balanced and extra time looming, the French midfielder’s dismissal changed everything, triggering furious reactions from players and staff on the touchline.
However, as the dust begins to settle, a different angle is gaining traction, one that places responsibility within the Madrid camp.
Sneijder’s criticism of Camavinga
In that context, former Real Madrid midfielder Wesley Sneijder has offered a brutally honest assessment, challenging the widely held belief that the referee was to blame.
Camavinga had entered the match midway through the second half, at a point where Madrid still had control of the tie.
Camavinga was sent off against Bayern Munich. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
But within a short span, the game turned against him. Already on a booking, he made the costly decision to delay play by holding onto the ball, an action that inevitably led to a second yellow card.
While some have argued the punishment was excessive, Sneijder’s view is that the mistake was entirely avoidable.
“This shouldn’t happen at this level. It’s stupid. We were all expecting extra time. You could tell from both teams,” he said.
“It’s incomprehensible that he would do this when he already had a yellow card in his pocket.”
Furthermore, Sneijder expressed his confusion at the post-match scenes, where players surrounded the referee rather than reflecting on the error.
“There’s something I just don’t understand at all: why they’re angry with the referee when what they should be doing is going into the dressing room and talking to Camavinga, not the referee,” he concluded.
Source: Mundo Deportivo
