The Spanish referee Jesús Gil Manzano sparked a storm of controversy following his officiating of the Espanyol vs. Real Madrid match, a game that witnessed refereeing decisions that turned the atmosphere and ignited reactions within the sports community.

Press reports revealed that Manzano has been the target of criticism for several seasons, as his matches in the Spanish league never pass without causing division due to his controversial decisions, which happened again in this encounter.

The match was not without tension, especially with the renewed conflict between Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior and Espanyol's Omar El Hilali, in a moment that was the main point of controversy during the encounter.

The match witnessed a critical moment when the referee showed a yellow card to Vinicius following a challenge on an Espanyol player, before shocking everyone by showing a direct red card to the Hilal player after his challenge on the Brazilian star. However, he reversed his decision after consulting the VAR, settling for a yellow card, in a scene that raised many questions.

The refereeing decisions did not go unnoticed, as the journalist Manolo Lama expressed his anger during the "Tiempo de Juego" program on COPE radio, saying: "Gil Manzano, you are very bad... go home."

For his part, journalist Pedro Martin commented on the same incident, noting that "the Espanyol player's luck was present after he placed his foot between the Real Madrid player's legs," referring to the significant controversy surrounding the referee's decisions in one of the most thrilling matches of the round.