Rookie referee Rubinos Pérez got his face in all the papers on Sunday after awarding a goal-that-wasn't to Deportivo La Coruña against Valencia. It appeared to everyone but him that Cañizares had managed to get down to Donato's header in time and push it off the line, but Rubinos was so sure it had gone in that he didn't even bother consulting the linesman. It didn't matter in the end as Valencia won anyway, but if the league had depended on that decision, imagine the outcry there could have been!

Celta manager Miguel Angel Lotina refused to be drawn into criticising Rodríguez Santiago after he had sent off two of his players in the first half hour, although he did finish off his press conference saying that at the end of the game at Villarreal he half expected the official to join in the home fans' Mexican wave. Luccin's red card came for shouting insults after the referee waved play-on when the Frenchman was scythed down by a Villarreal defender. Reading Rodríguez's report, we must say that Luccin has picked up some colourful language in his two years in Spain. Our older readers will of course remember that the same referee was involved in controversy at the Madrigal stadium last season, when the Villarreal president came on the pitch to protest about his performance. Funny that he didn't say much this time around. (20.05.03)