Real Sociedad Fumes Over Officiating in Europa League Loss to Manchester United
Real Sociedad has released a scathing statement criticizing the officiating in their 4-1 Europa League defeat to Manchester United, calling the refereeing decisions “absolutely disgraceful.”
The Spanish club suffered a 5-2 aggregate elimination following Thursday’s match at Old Trafford, where they initially took the lead through Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty before conceding four goals, including a Bruno Fernandes hat-trick.
The contentious match featured four penalty decisions by French referee Benoit Bastien, with three being awarded and one later overturned after Manchester United’s Patrick Dorgu displayed remarkable sportsmanship by informing the referee it wasn’t a foul.
Controversial Decisions Mar Europa League Knockout Fixture
The controversy centered around several key incidents:
- Two penalties awarded to Manchester United in the first half, both converted by Bruno Fernandes
- A red card shown to Sociedad substitute Jon Aramburu when the score was 2-1
- A fourth penalty initially given but later overturned after Dorgu admitted it wasn’t a foul
Real Sociedad’s official statement, titled “Outrageous” on their website, didn’t mince words about the officiating:
“It is difficult to understand that such refereeing decisions are made in Europe. It was absolutely disgraceful,” the statement read. “A brave and proud Real Sociedad could not advance due to decisions that have consistently favoured United.”
The Spanish side specifically highlighted what they perceived as injustices:
- An “unfounded penalty” that allowed United to equalize
- A “questionable red card” that reduced them to 10 men
- A “completely non-existent penalty” at the beginning of the second half
The match officials appeared particularly under scrutiny regarding the penalty decisions. According to Sociedad, the referee “seemed to call every possible foul against Real” and awarded decisions that were “shameful” at the European competition level.
| Key Event | Result |
|---|---|
| Oyarzabal penalty | Sociedad leads 1-0 |
| Two Fernandes penalties | United leads 2-1 |
| Aramburu red card | Sociedad reduced to 10 men |
| Final two United goals | Match ends 4-1 |
The club concluded their statement with a defiant message: “Real Sociedad bids farewell to the Europa League with immense frustration. Today, they made it impossible for them. We will return. We are Real.”
This Europa League elimination marks another disappointment for Sociedad, who have now conceded four goals in a single match twice in March, raising questions about their defensive stability in high-stakes competitions.
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