Alberola Rojas praised for calm handling of Barcelona’s win over Atletico Madrid

Barcelona came from behind to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the 12th round of La Liga, with referee Alberola Rojas receiving praise from former international official Barrenechea Montero for his performance in a fiercely contested match.

Julian Simeone put Atletico Madrid ahead after 10 minutes at the Metropolitano, but Barcelona recovered through Fermin Lopez. The midfielder levelled the score before half-time and completed the turnaround in the 66th minute, converting a chance created by Lamine Yamal.

The match featured numerous challenges and appeals from both sides, yet Barrenechea Montero believed Alberola Rojas maintained control without resorting to excessive disciplinary action.

Writing for the Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo under the headline “A calm refereeing performance from Alberola Rojas”, the refereeing analyst described the official’s display as balanced and composed.

Controlled approach to a heated contest

Barrenechea Montero said Alberola Rojas was well positioned throughout the match and judged the fouls correctly. He also highlighted the referee’s use of the advantage rule, which helped the game retain its flow despite the intensity of the contest.

The former referee praised Alberola Rojas for showing confidence in his decisions and for dealing sensibly with the physical challenges and confrontations between the players.

The official also adopted a preventive approach, maintaining regular dialogue with players and coaches. According to Barrenechea Montero, he showed tolerance towards their reactions and did not punish their protests.

Four players were booked during the match. Baena received a yellow card for bringing down Lamine Yamal and stopping a promising attack. Bernal was cautioned for pulling Cardoso, Llorente for fouling Adeyemi, and Bobby for pulling Pedri.

The video assistant referee, Iglesias Villanueva, did not need to intervene in any of the potentially contentious incidents. As a result, the VAR team had little influence on the match and attracted no significant attention.

Barrenechea Montero concluded that Alberola Rojas emerged from the game with his reputation enhanced after delivering what he described as a particularly calm and balanced refereeing performance.