Hernandez Maeso given damning 4/10 rating after Real Madrid win at Valencia

Referee Hernandez Maeso received a score of just 4 out of 10 for his performance in Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory away to Valencia in the 12th round of La Liga.

The verdict was issued by Archivo VAR, a publication specialising in controversial refereeing decisions, which described the official’s display as a failure.

“Hernandez Maeso received a failing mark for his handling of Valencia against Real Madrid, a match which, as expected, went over his head like a huge truck,” Archivo VAR said.

The assessment also questioned the decision to appoint Hernandez Maeso to a fixture expected to be highly competitive and tense. The report said he was not regarded as a referee who managed such matches particularly well and suggested he may have been among the least suitable officials for the assignment.

Those concerns were reflected in the opening period, when Hernandez Maeso appeared to lose his composure. He did not show Valencia’s Maffeo an apparently clear yellow card and allowed the intensity of the challenges to increase as the match progressed.

The referee was unable to establish clear limits for the players, a weakness that created further problems after the interval. Rising tensions led to several group confrontations. None developed into more serious incidents, but Hernandez Maeso was forced to intervene by issuing a series of yellow cards.

Archivo VAR identified three contentious refereeing incidents during the match. It concluded that the correct decision was made in two of them, while the third was only partly correct. That, the report said, prevented the referee from receiving an even more damaging assessment.

One of the decisions considered correct was Hernandez Maeso’s refusal to issue Guido a straight red card for his challenge on Diomande. The incident did warrant a foul, according to the review, meaning the referee made a minor error, but it did not meet the threshold for a dismissal.

Hernandez Maeso later showed Maffeo a yellow card for an overly forceful push on Kylian Mbappe near the edge of the penalty area. Archivo VAR said the challenge did not merit a red card because Maffeo was not in control of the ball and there was therefore no clear goalscoring opportunity.

The review then highlighted a separate incident in the second half involving Gaya and Mbappe. Valencia’s defender brought down the Real Madrid forward while Mbappe was through on goal, with Gaya positioned as the last defender.

The schedule information accompanying the report lists Tavernes de la Valldigna in the Copa del Rey on 10 November 2026. It also lists Valencia against Real Madrid in La Liga on 21 November 2026, with Celta Vigo included in the same fixture information.