A relaxed sort of week on the refereeing front, starting in the cup, where there were few incidents in the two semi-final ties. Rodríguez Santiago did take exception to something Brit said to one of his linesmen though, producing the only red card of the round, and Esquinas Torres was hoodwinked by the old "falling over a blade of grass" trick, a Diego Tristán speciality which earned his side a late penalty.

Tristán got his just rewards though at the weekend, when Pérez Lasa nailed him with a couple of yellows. The referee went on to produce eight yellows and two reds in all to extend his lead at the top of our chart. Barcelona's woes continued, and just when it seemed they were starting to climb out of the hole, Megia Dávila dropped them back in it with a dubious penalty decision, Sorín's trip on Tiko appearing to take place outside of the area. There is a saying in Spanish that someone is so unlucky that if they were running a circus, the dwarfs would grow on them, and there were some pretty big midgets running around by the end of the game. Complaints too from Mono Burgos, a pretty wild circus act himself, who claimed after the match that Carmona Méndez was wrong to allow Sevilla's goal after the eccentric keeper let a weak Fredi shot under his body. Mono said he stopped the ball before it crossed the line, although television pictures were not too clear on the subject.

Referees are hard to understand at the best of times, but players in the Madrid regional league were completely baffled this weekend. The fact was that nine referees from Japan were on a learning visit, and they were allowed to take charge of this weekend's games as part of the exercise. Nobody appeared to complain though, and it seems that the players preferred the well educated attitude than the usual treatment they get from the local officials. Maybe though that was because they could swear under their breath and get away with it? (12.02.03)