Arbeloa criticises ‘inexplicable’ red card as Real Madrid exit Champions League

Álvaro Arbeloa has strongly criticised the decision to send off Eduardo Camavinga during Real Madrid’s 4–3 defeat to Bayern Munich, describing the referee’s call as “inexplicable” following their UEFA Champions League quarter-final exit.

The decisive moment came late in the contest when referee Slavko Vinčić awarded a foul after Harry Kane went to ground under minimal contact from Camavinga. The official initially issued a yellow card before being reminded that it was the midfielder’s second booking, prompting a dismissal.

Players including Jamal Musiala, Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović alerted the referee, leading to the red card that left Madrid with ten men at a critical stage.

Bayern capitalised on their numerical advantage soon after, with Luis Díaz scoring to level the match at 3–3 on the night and put the German side ahead on aggregate, before Michael Olise sealed a 6–4 aggregate victory deep into stoppage time.

“Everything was over with the red card,” Arbeloa said. “It’s unbelievable. You cannot send off a player for this action. It’s not fair in a match like that. We are very upset, very angry, but also congratulations to Bayern Munich.”

Despite the defeat, Madrid had mounted a strong challenge, with Arda Güler scoring twice and Kylian Mbappé also on target as they attempted to overturn their first-leg deficit.

Arbeloa reiterated his frustration with the officiating, adding: “The sending-off was completely inexplicable and unfair. The tie slipped away from us in a way that was beyond our control, and I feel terrible for my players and the effort they put in.

“I’m very proud of them, of the fans, of everyone who travelled, and of the club. What hurts most about this defeat is that we will not win the sixteenth European title this year — above all because of the way it happened.”

The result leaves Real Madrid facing the prospect of a second consecutive trophyless season. They currently trail FC Barcelona by nine points in La Liga with seven matches remaining, and were eliminated from the Copa del Rey earlier in the campaign by Albacete Balompié.

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain — Mbappé’s former club — have progressed to the semi-finals, where they will face Bayern Munich later this month.