It seems that 24 top flight referees this year have been divided into two groups, the good and the bad (we don't comment on the ugly for fear of being taken to court!). Whereas the latter have clocked up 22 red cards between them in their last two outings, the former have been putting in discreet performances, as they did this weekend with virtually no controversial decisions. Only a couple of heated moments at the end of two matches, with Racing players not happy with Undiano Mallenco for awarding a penalty to Espanyol after Pinillos was sent off for bringing down Tamudo (if anything it should have been a foul outside of the area by Toño on the skipper beforehand), and Turienzo Alvarez turning down a last minute claim by Nàstic that Ismael's shot had bounced down off the bar over the line (something we will never know as television cameras were not allowed in to Sevilla's ground). (24.10.06)