The match between the Athletic Club and Arsenal FC, marked by Gabriel Martinelli’s departure to Arsenal on the first day of the UEFA Champions League, was particularly controversial. The key action of the evening, leading to the second goal of the English team, took place at the 86th minute. Leandro Trossard, fresh in the game like Martinelli, scored this decisive goal, plunging San Mamés into silence. The Athletic Club challenged this action, notably via its captain Iñaki Williams, alleging a possible fault of Martín Zubimendi on Gorka Guruzeta, action that preceded Trossard’s goal.

The captain of the Athletic Club expressed his frustration at the Lithuanian arbitration Donaetas Rumsas, highlighting a contact between Zubimendi and Guruzeta during the duel for the ball. He questioned the absence of VAR intervention in this situation, considering that the action, although questionable, was a matter of the inherent contacts of football and did not justify a VAR verification. He stressed that football is a physical sport where contacts are frequent and acceptable.

The observer confirmed this position, stating that there was nothing wrong with the action and that the 0-2 goal of the Arsenal in San Mamés was legal. He stressed that the VAR should not intervene in this type of situation, as it is a football game where physical contacts are inevitable. The discussion highlights the ongoing discussions on the application of the VAR and the subjectivity of arbitration in modern football.