Overview
- Referee Víctor García Verdura waved away a late Vinícius Jr. penalty shout in Real Madrid’s 2–1 win at Alavés, with VAR official Pablo González Fuertes declining to send the on-field decision for review.
- Xabi Alonso called the incident a clear penalty, and TV cameras captured Vinícius saying the referee did not whistle because it was him.
- Real Madrid TV aired an on‑screen tirade accusing García Verdura and González Fuertes of a deliberate non-call and tied the episode to the Negreira affair, even urging that the VAR official be removed from duties.
- In a Christmas address, Florentino Pérez labeled the Negreira case the biggest scandal in football, cited more than €7–8m in payments for referee reports, and said institutional leaders have left Madrid isolated; Barcelona’s alleged payments remain under judicial investigation.
- Alavés coach Eduardo Coudet said the play was either a penalty or a second yellow for Vinícius, and no refereeing sanctions or legal findings tied to this specific incident have been reported.