We have said more than once on these pages that Iturralde González is one of the best referees in Spain, but he does have a tendency to throw a wobbly from time to time. He was an "angelito" in the cup midweek, hardly being noticed in the tie between Real Madrid and Valladolid, but boy did he make up for it at the weekend. Maybe he was upset that he had to step in to take charge of the Villarreal Valencia derby at the last moment, replacing Losantos Omar who was down with flu, but he didn't mess around awarding a record four penalties in the match. Two were certainly dubious, especially the third when Gonzalo turned his back on a point blank shot only for the ball to hit his arm, earning the defender a second booking and a red card into the bargain. Not a man to be crossed when he's in a bad mood! (25.01.05)