The outcome of this El Clásico owed much to the officiating decisions of referee Hernández Hernández, whose presence once again stirred up controversy. His name is already familiar to Cricket Exchange followers and La Liga fans alike, as he also officiated last season’s fiercely contested Barcelona vs Real Madrid clash, where similar backlash erupted. In that match, Real Madrid supporters were livid when Cristiano Ronaldo went down in the box after contact with Umtiti just two minutes in, yet no penalty was given. Moments later, Marcelo’s elbow left Messi bleeding from the mouth, and Casemiro brought Messi down with a stomp—but still, Hernández kept his whistle silent.
Cricket Exchange users remembered all too well how that match triggered anger on both sides. Surprisingly, La Liga once again appointed Hernández for this season’s El Clásico. As tensions flared in the first half, he failed to cool things down. By the second half, he appeared to overcorrect his earlier leniency against Barcelona, making hesitant and inconsistent decisions that sparked backlash from Real Madrid fans. His inability to apply a consistent standard only deepened the divide. Over the course of the match, Hernández issued eight yellow cards and one red, but his uneven judgment made it hard for both players and fans to accept the calls.
It’s widely agreed, especially in discussions on Cricket Exchange, that referees should never become the central figures of a match—especially not in fixtures as high-profile as El Clásico. Yet Hernández’s inconsistent whistles, hesitation, and lack of authority allowed tempers to flare dangerously, nearly resulting in an on-field melee. Controversy peaked in the 52nd minute when Messi gave Barcelona the lead, but his assist came from Suárez, who admitted post-match that he fouled Varane during the play. No call was made, raising eyebrows across fanbases.
The drama didn’t stop there. In the 75th minute, Marcelo was tripped in the box by Jordi Alba, but Hernández once again kept the whistle to himself. Moments later, Bale stomped on Umtiti’s leg in a clear foul, yet escaped any card. Just a minute after that, Roberto, while tracking back, clashed with Marcelo and threw a punch, which earned him a straight red card. The sudden punishment left Barcelona players fuming, especially given that Bale’s challenge went unpunished.
As the boos echoed through the stadium, fans and analysts alike expressed disbelief. In a match of this magnitude, where every decision is magnified, inconsistency from the referee casts a long shadow. On platforms like Cricket Exchange, the debate rages on—not just about who deserved to win, but about how much influence one whistle can have in shaping the outcome of football’s biggest rivalry.