BREAKING NEWS: Premier league referee explains five reasons for his errors not awarding a Red Card to Lisandro Martinez after a harsh attack on Kamada in the Man United Vs Crystal Palace game and apologizes to the Crystal Palace supporters, saying “It was not my decision.”
The Premier League has confirmed that VAR supported referee David Coote’s decision regarding Lisandro Martinez’s two-footed challenge on Daichi Kamada. The incident happened during the 63rd minute of a tense 0-0 draw between Manchester United and Crystal Palace. Martinez leaped into the air, landing both feet just inches away from Kamada, who was in possession of the ball. Although Martinez recovered the ball without making contact with Kamada, the referee issued only a yellow card, a decision that provoked anger among Palace players, particularly their midfielder.
Crystal Palace’s goalkeeper, Dean Henderson, even rushed out of his area to confront Coote about the decision, which resulted in Henderson being shown a yellow card for dissent. Roughly 15 minutes after the event, the Premier League’s Match Center took to social media platform X to explain the reasoning behind not giving Martinez a red card. They clarified that VAR had reviewed the tackle to assess if it warranted a red card and determined that Martinez’s challenge was careless but did not involve contact with Kamada, thereby affirming the referee’s initial judgment.
Despite not being sent off, Martinez faced widespread criticism for his challenge. Many fans and pundits were surprised he avoided a red card. Former Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, shared his disbelief, stating, “I am astonished that Lisandro Martinez was not sent off for that tackle. It could have easily broken Kamada’s ankle, and it’s not the type of challenge we want to see in football.”
For the remainder of the match, Martinez was consistently booed by Crystal Palace supporters as he continued to play, aiming to help Manchester United secure a clean sheet. Although United created chances that could have earned them three points and extended their winning run since the international break, they were unable to take advantage of those opportunities. Ultimately, despite Martinez’s contributions, Manchester United was unable to break the deadlock and claim victory.