Oyarzabal highlights referee contradiction over ball contact in penalty decision

Real Sociedad captain Oyarzabal revealed the referee told him the ball was not touched, but TV replays suggest otherwise in the controversial penalty decision.

Real Sociedad's captain Mikel Oyarzabal spoke to media after the Basque derby at San Mamés, focusing on the controversial penalty awarded against Jon Mikel Aramburu for contact with Nico Williams. Oyarzabal recounted his conversation with the referee, saying the official initially confirmed the penalty was being checked for another incident, then later stated that VAR and the new ball's chip data showed Aramburu did not touch the ball at any point.

However, Oyarzabal expressed confusion over the contradiction between this explanation and what television replays appeared to show. "The referee confirms to me that Jonmi doesn't touch the ball at any moment, but then in some camera angles it looks like he does touch it," Oyarzabal said. "I don't know if he touches it or not, but it looks like he does. Whether it's a penalty or not, I won't go into that, because there are actions where even touching the ball it's a penalty. But to be told you don't touch the ball when some cameras show you do..." He acknowledged Real Sociedad didn't start well but created chances to equalize, before the penalty decided the match. Looking ahead, Oyarzabal said the team must move on and prepare for their next fixture on Thursday.