“I can’t play like that”. A few words from Thibaut Courtois who marked a before and after in the derby between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid. The throwing of lighters and objects towards the goal and the Belgian goalkeeper’s antenna did not stop. They warned over the loudspeaker, but the ultras, far from following the instructions, continued to throw all kinds of objects at their target, the Belgian goalkeeper. Three minutes in which the field referee, Mateo Busquets Ferrer, and the VAR referee, Javier Iglesias Villanueva, made the right decision: apply the protocol and stop the match for 10 minutes.
Even if this was the outcome of the story, since from the 64th minute, football was no longer the protagonist. After a goal from Éder Militão broke the tie on the scoreboard, Courtois celebrated and waved his hand towards the stands behind one of the goals, where Front Atlético is located. Then, in response, lighters started to invade the small area. Some objects that the Merengue goalkeeper collected and brought to the match referee as proof of the crime.
“The goalkeeper suits you,” warned Mateo Busquets Javier Iglesias Villanueva. The latter, noticing that they are lighters, takes them to the field delegate and asks him to “Please say over the PA system to stop throwing things”showing and pointing to the lighters.
A first alarm signal which, after what happened, was not enough to stop the violent attitudes of the ultras. Barely five minutes had passed when, before a goal kick, Busquets and Courtois had a conversation. “We have to stop the game”affirms the referee, while the Real Madrid player replies that “I can’t play like that”.
A dialogue which ends with a new opinion to the field delegate, who is assured that “next time I’ll put the team inside”. A threat that ends up being realized before Courtois himself can score. The goalkeeper again insists that “I can’t play”, to which the referee makes the decision: “Can’t you play? Okay. We’ll go in.”
This is when the protocol is activated. Busquets informs Cholo Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti that he will stop the game for ten minutes. Atlético de Madrid coach agrees and says “I think it’s very good, very good”. After talking with the two technicians, he begins to tell the outfield players to leave the green and head towards the locker rooms. Luka Modrić asks him why for ten minutes, to which the referee explains that “this is Modrić’s protocol, the protocol for throwing objects. Luka, we have to go in.”
Even if he’s not the only one he has to explain himself to. Daniel Carvajal, Éder Militão and Julián Alvárez also ask Busquets why he stopped the match. “I follow protocol.” “I warn you once Julián, they keep throwing objects”. 17 minutes later, the match resumes with ultras under control, an impeccable performance from the referee and images that leave Spanish football and Atlético de Madrid in a bad light.
