Behind Camavinga's expulsion, Real Madrid sees the intervention of the UEFA president, who is of the same nationality as the referee of the match in Munich, Slavko Vincic: has Ceferin taken revenge for the Super League incident?
The wounds between Real Madrid and UEFA are far from healed as a result of the team's leadership in the Super League project, the biggest threat in recent years and a major scourge for the European organization and its top club competition, the Champions League.
The agreement made public on February 11th between Real Madrid and UEFA has only served to calm the waters slightly. Little more. The same can be said of Alexander Ceferin's presence on April 8th at the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final tie between Real Madrid and the Spanish giants at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
Because Real Madrid's defeat last Wednesday in Munich has reopened Pandora's box. The decision that all Madrid fans consider key to their elimination is the sending-off of Eduardo Camavinga in the 87th minute after he received his second yellow card for alleged time-wasting . This decision, made by the referee, Slovenian Slakvo Vincic, effectively ended Real Madrid's hopes of lifting their sixteenth Champions League trophy.
A meteoric rise in his career despite refereeing in Norway
Vincic, curiously, shares the same nationality as the UEFA president, and it is precisely there that the connection is clearly seen. One only needs to look at his meteoric refereeing career, especially considering he officiates in a league with no European representation, such as the Norwegian league. Vincic can boast of having already refereed the 2022 Europa League final and the 2024 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
This season alone, he has officiated nine matches in the top club competition: six in the group stage, one in the playoffs, one round of 16, and this week's quarter-final second leg. Those close to Real Madrid are convinced that Ceferin's hand was behind last Wednesday's controversial decision. It's a way of serving up revenge, served cold, for all the damage Real Madrid has tried to inflict over the years while leading the Super League project. We'll see if this reopens a wound that seemed to have healed.