Despite a relatively quiet week, there were some refereeing antics worthy of mention. Carmona Méndez started off a near riot when he allowed play to on for over the five minutes indicated by the fourth referee, especially as Valencia equalised with the last kick of the ball. Items were thrown on the pitch as the officials left the ground under a police escort, and there were even reports of a baton charge as menacing fans crowded round. Not quite as bad as Uruguay, where one poor referee was beaten to death by a thug for sending off a player last week, but even so it could earn Málaga a ground closure.

Elsewhere Pérez Burrull was accused even by his own colleagues of not being severe enough when he failed to send off Peña for the foul on Valerón, and may even be in line for a sanction by the referees' commitee. His performance wasn't as bad as Medina Cantalejo though, who awarded three very questionable penalties, ordered one of the two in favour of Rayo to be retaken when Lemmens saved, and then sent off the Belgian keeper, presumably for physically assaulting the football. Rayo's lady president Teresa Rivero, alaways the first to criticise bad refereeing, was surprisingly quite this time. (24.09.02)