After the seemingly settled controversy surrounding Vitor Roque’s contentious expulsion against Alavés, the situation has taken an unexpected turn after Rafa Marin posted a photo of his leg
Rafa Marin, purportedly affected by the clash with Tigrinho, has shared an image on social media depicting the state of his leg after the incident.
Rafa Marin clarifies that injury photo and tattoos he posted on Instagram are of his leg only after Vitor Roque challenge
Nah man Barca fans are going through Rafa Marin's old pic and analyzing the tattoos on his legs, all that just to spread their fake propaganda.
That was Rafa's leg which he posted on Instagram btw. Stop being weird lol pic.twitter.com/UJV9AijNBX
— Dr Yash (@YashRMFC) February 3, 2024
Despite Barcelona’s 1-3 victory over Alavés, they found themselves entangled in yet another controversy related to the officiating. Brazilian forward Vitor Roque received a second yellow card in a ‘questionable’ play involving a ball dispute with Rafa Marín.
While the carioca was late, he managed to pull away his leg in time, barely making contact with the Alavés player. Nevertheless, for Munuera Montero, the contact was deemed enough to warrant the expulsion of the Barcelona player.
This decision sparked controversy, exacerbated further when the Alavés defender posted an image on social media showcasing the condition of his leg post-collision.
📸 Disgusting challenge by Vitor Roque. Deserved 🟥 card. Get well soon Rafa Marin @rafamarin04 pic.twitter.com/qVW0HOod2Q
— Girona Zone (@GironaZone) February 3, 2024
In the match report, the referee described the incident as follows: “In the 72nd minute, player (19) Roque Ferreira, Vitor Hugo, was cautioned for striking an opponent’s leg recklessly with his foot.”
However, the images tell a different story, as the contact with the Alavés player’s leg is practically nonexistent, with few punishable nuances.
What Did Images Reveal?
Unexpectedly, the situation took a twist when Rafa Marín, the player supposedly fouled by Tigrinho, aka Vitor Roque shared an image on his social media account revealing his leg after the alleged contact.
The photo shows a minor abrasion on the player’s leg, accompanied by the caption: “Images that speak for themselves,” implying that the carioca’s challenge was more dangerous than perceived in the images.
La ganga culé ha repasado durante 40 mins el Instragram de Rafa Marín para hacer una teoría de que no era su pierna.
Al punto de que Rafa Marin ha tenido que volver a subir otra foto viendo semejante indigencia mental, bochorno histórico. pic.twitter.com/C33EFObGkX
— FeyValentine (@valentine_fey) February 3, 2024
Despite the contact was clear, television images suggested it was quite minor, and there seemed to be an intention from the Barcelona player to withdraw his leg, leading many to accuse the defender of exaggerating.
However, it is clear from the images that he wasn’t feigning injury. Marín posted an image of his right leg on social media after the clash.
Two images, in fact, to make it clear that it was the leg that had been impacted. In these images, the wound caused by Vitor Roque’s action is clearly visible, even if it was unintentional.
It was an action that no one expected to result in a yellow card, yet once again, the scales tipped in favor of Barcelona.
The officiating remains one of the factors taking a toll on Xavi’s team, prompting an announcement in the post-match press conference that they will appeal the striker’s expulsion to enable him to play against Granada.
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