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The VAR era has produced some stunning moments, but here are two of the strangest minutes we’ve seen yet. The scene is Estadio Fernando Torres in Madrid — yes, the stadium’s named after the former Liverpool striker — where Fuenlabrada is hosting Girona in Spanish Segunda División play.
With Girona leading 1-0 thanks to Cristhian Stuani’s early goal, Fuenlabrada’s difficult task was compounded when Cristóbal was given a straight red for almost slicing Álex Granell in half.
However, after taking a look at the replay on the VAR’s advice, the referee decided that the challenge only merited a yellow card. At this point, someone had to run down the tunnel and inform Cristóbal that he could come back.
It’s a massive reprieve for Fuenlabrada, right?!
Except Cristóbal returns to the pitch and immediately squares up with Granell. That’s a yellow card for both players (now Cristóbal’s second), and the 35-year-old Fuenlabrada midfielder is sent straight back off.
Girona would use the man-advantage to hang on for a 1-0 win. To make things worse for Fuenlabrada, Girona overtakes them in sixth place while they fall to seventh in the Segunda División.
