Real Madrid vs Barcelona 2011: The Pepe Red Card and Mourinho's '¿Por qué?'

The tie, and the spring of Clásicos

This was the third of four Clásicos in eighteen days: a 1–1 league draw, a Copa del Rey final Madrid won 1–0, and now the Champions League semifinal first leg at the Bernabéu. Mourinho's Madrid had set up to contain Barcelona and had done so for an hour; the match was 0–0 and the tie was entirely open. Madrid had already had a player sent off in each of the previous three Clásicos that season, a fact both sets of fans read in opposite directions.

The referee

Wolfgang Stark was a long-serving German international referee who had taken charge of the first leg of the 2009 Chelsea–Barcelona semifinal in Barcelona. He made two dismissals on the night before Pepe's: Barcelona's reserve goalkeeper José Pinto in a half-time tunnel melee, and, immediately after the red card, Mourinho himself for what the Associated Press described as sarcastically clapping and giving the fourth official two thumbs up. Mourinho's version was that he had 'simply applauded his decision'.

The decision

In the 61st minute Pepe went for a loose ball as Dani Alves moved to clear it, with his boot raised and studs showing. Alves went down, was treated at length and stretchered off, and returned to the pitch within minutes — a sequence rival fans have replayed ever since as evidence of exaggeration, and one that appears in fan and secondary accounts rather than in the UEFA, Sky or AP match reports. UEFA's own report called it 'a high challenge'. Whether the studs made contact is the contested point: Sky's report said Pepe was 'perhaps unfortunate' to be sent off for raising his foot as Alves went to clear.

Fifteen minutes later Messi scored from Ibrahim Afellay's low cross, and in the 87th he ran from inside Madrid's half past four defenders to make it 2–0. Madrid never recovered the tie: the second leg finished 1–1.

The law as written in 2011

Serious foul play in 2010/11 was defined as a challenge that endangered the safety of an opponent or used excessive force, and it was a sending-off offence whether or not contact was made. That last clause is the core of the defence: a studs-up challenge at the height of an opponent's shin or thigh can be a red card on danger alone. The prosecution's answer is that Pepe was looking at the ball, the challenge was a collision rather than a lunge, and referees at that level do not usually dismiss a player for a raised boot in a 50–50 unless the contact is clear.

The aftermath

Mourinho's press conference became more famous than the match. He asked why every Barcelona semifinal ended the same way — Øvrebø with Chelsea, Inter's 'miracle' with ten men, and now Stark — said he did not know whether it was 'the publicity of UNICEF' or the federation president's influence at UEFA, and said that if he told the referee and UEFA what he really thought 'my career ends today'. UEFA charged him with making an inappropriate statement and banned him for five matches, with the fourth and fifth later suspended on appeal, plus a €50,000 fine.

Madrid lodged two protests: that Barcelona's players had feigned injury to get Pepe sent off, and against the red card itself. On 2 May UEFA found 'no common strategy to provoke the Real Madrid CF player' and upheld 'the referee's factual decision'. A separate Madrid complaint alleging racial abuse of Marcelo by Busquets was dismissed for lack of evidence. The jury does not get to rule on the conspiracy Mourinho hinted at, because the archive does not claim one. It rules on the card.

Cast your ruling

1. Exhibit AE

   The Red Card Before Messi Took Over

   Vote on the Pepe red card · 0 jurors

Play this controversy

This match is playable. Replay the Bernabéu After the Red Card — a free browser football game puts you in control as Real Madrid from the 62th minute, against a referee whose bias level was set by the jury’s verdict on this very incident.

Sources

• UEFA — Ten-man Madrid undone by Messi magic (match report)
• Sky Sports — Real Madrid 0–2 Barcelona report
• UEFA — Disciplinary cases opened against Madrid and Barcelona (28 April 2011)
• UEFA — Madrid protests, Barça complaint rejected (2 May 2011)
• UEFA — Mourinho appeal partially admitted (29 July 2011)
• Al Jazeera — UEFA hands Mourinho five-match ban
• Telemadrid — Mourinho's post-match press conference (Spanish)
• Fox Sports/AP — Messi gives Barcelona 2–0 win over 10-man Madrid

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