“Doesn’t seem right to me” - Real Madrid star makes feelings clear as he faces backlash over comments after win against Leganes
Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has hit back after being ruthlessly trolled for some comments he made post their narrow 3-2 victory over Leganes. The Ukrainian appeared to allude to potential refereeing decisions going Los Blancos' way in the hard-fought win, which caught the attention of fans.
Speaking after the win, he said to the press (via Madrid Universal):
I don’t want to talk about the referee’s decisions; we have to win these games without help. I mean, we have to solve these games by playing well, playing organized, trying not to concede goals."
Although Lunin’s comments appeared to focus on the team’s play, the wording did not go unnoticed, causing some eyebrows to raise and discussion to spread. This was bound to happen, particularly in the aftermath of a match heavy with controversial refereeing decisions. His remarks were interpreted by some as questioning the legitimacy of Madrid’s victory.
Lunin subsequently took to Instagram to clarify, saying he attributed the misunderstanding to the fact that he was not fluent in Spanish (via Madrid Universal):
“Trying to take advantage of my lack of command of Spanish doesn’t seem right to me, but I will try to improve. A well-deserved victory yesterday. Hala Madrid."
Standing in for the injured Thibaut Courtois at the moment, Lunin has been under the spotlight. He has played 11 games for Real Madrid this season, conceding 15 goals and keeping four clean sheets.
Borja Jimenez moans refereeing decisions in defeat to Real Madrid
Leganes manager Borja Jimenez was clearly frustrated on Sunday, after his team was defeated 3-2 by Real Madrid. He signed off the loss as a result of certain refereeing calls that he believed influenced the game.
There were two occasions in the manager’s post-match comments that caught the eye. A penalty awarded to Real Madrid after Oscar Rodriguez had brought down Arda Guler, which Kylian Mbappe scored. A controversial free kick was also awarded when Renato Tapia fouled Rodrygo, leading to the hosts’ winning goal, which Mbappe also scored.
Speaking afterwards, Jimenez said to the press (via Madrid Universal):
"I’m not going to complain again today. Let’s see if we get lucky with the draws. I said it on Friday, and I say it actively and passively: those of us at the bottom or at the top have little right to complain.
"I have a lot of trust in the refereeing system, but we’ve had bad luck. I hope the club does something about it."
Real Madrid are now three points behind league leaders Barcelona, as the domestic campaign enters its business end, with nine games left to play.
