Maresca: It’s a red! | Iraola: A clear yellow | Managers disagree on the Brooks-Cucurella clash in the 2-2 draw between Chelsea and Bournemouth.
Blues boss Enzo Maresca expressed his frustration as David Brooks was not shown a red card for his challenge on Marc Cucurella.
Bournemouth avoided losing Brooks to a red card in the second half for what appeared to be a hair pull on Cucurella, as a pitchside VAR review monitor ultimately went with the winger.
Referee Robert Jones was sent to the monitor by VAR official Graham Scott to have a look at the incident and contemplate a red card for Brooks due to violent conduct.
However, in a unusual turn of events, Jones opted to uphold his initial decision of no red card, instead issuing a caution to Brooks.
This was first time in Premier League history where a referee has declined to issue a red card after reviewing the situation at the pitchside monitor, as well as being the first rejection of a VAR monitor review this season.
Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola gave a different opinion of the incident to Maresca, arguing that Jones was right to let Brooks off with a caution.
“I don’t understand why the VAR asked the referee to go and check,” he said.
“There was no violence, I think it’s a clear yellow card. For me Brooks never wants to do anything other than stop the counter [attack].
“When you consider how Chelsea played and we played, I don’t think we deserved to win. I don’t think we were better than Chelsea.”
David Brooks misses out on a red card despite a lengthy VAR review
Should he have been sent off…?
@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/cpMQl8RBsZ
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 14, 2025
“I think Brooks is lucky to get a yellow card”
Eni Aluko and Joe Cole take a look at the incidents between David Brooks and Marc Cucurella…
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 14, 2025
It gets worse every time I see it.
You are a disgrace to every single football club in this league and I’ll happily say piss off from all 20 teams @FA_PGMOL
— Uber Chelsea FC (@UberChelseaFC_) January 15, 2025
“I said many times, for me, if there is no intention to take the ball, it’s a red,” Maresca said. “They have to explain [it]. If they give a yellow, that means something happened.
“So, how can they judge that it was not dangerous? You cannot judge that it was not dangerous.
“The intention was just to go against Marc Cucurella. In my opinion, it’s a red. Hopefully, we can be more lucky with the referee in the future.”
On the incident, Chelsea Reece James added: “When the referee takes a look at the monitor then it’s never a good sign.
“There are positives to take away from the game but there are negatives as well. It’s mixed emotions.”
“I’ve seen nothing violent”
Andoni Iraola reacts to the VAR asking referee Robert Jones to check David Brooks’ challenge on Marc Cucurella. pic.twitter.com/98HsaYfNVN
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 15, 2025
“How can you judge that wasn’t DANGEROUS?”
Maresca fumes after David Brooks escapes red for blatant foul on Marc Cucurella
https://t.co/TXcTJz0DYZ pic.twitter.com/zACId5loVQ
— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) January 14, 2025
Twitter users reacted as managers disagree on the Brooks-Cucurella clash, Maresca says it’s a red, Iraola went with a clear yellow…
@TheoSawyer7: Jack Stephens got a red for less
@Liam_AFCB: Nothing wrong with it
@ben4675: Cucurella is a cheat, 3/4 times this season he’s actively tried to get a player sent off for feigning injury / or dangerous contact. The refs need to start and award red cards for the perpetrator of the cheating. They’d all soon stop doing it.
@JackSimmons101: Looked like a clear red, but the commentators were saying that Cucurella did the same thing in the first half and got away with it, so maybe it’s fair.
@NizaarKinsella: Brooks was caught pulling Cucurella’s hair but unlike Jack Stephens, he isn’t sent off… I don’t get it. It’s either a red card to pull someone’s hair or it isn’t.
@sam_innes19: The ref is a complete disgrace. That’s a blatantly red card. That’s a wrestling move.
@JRT0809: How’s this not a red 
@BakeCFC28: Disgrace This just proves even more how useless the Refs and VAR is @FA_PGMOL
@harrythepratt: The most obvious red you’ll ever see, off the ball punch and hair pull, but ref is so incompetent that even after a VAR review he decides it’s not a red. Honestly not sure how Robert Jones has a job
@thorpey_10:
When a Southampton player does this, a milder version of this mind – red card
Anyone else – yellow card
This league is so shit #Saintsfc
@ShaunMcKinlay1: 1-1 Cucurella did Brooks in the 1st half, Chelsea spend most of their time rolling on the floor anyway!
@wladon15: How the fuck hasn’t he been sent off for this by the way 
@NorthbankJohn: Maybe if Cucurella didn’t spend his whole time diving and trying to get others sent off he might if got a decision. Never seen a player throw himself to the ground as much at the slightest touch. It’s embarrassing and it’s not just him. We have a few at Arsenal too
@maxhwhitehouse: What do you even say anymore? Every week it’s just terrible decision after terrible decision.
@Danyu1d: Brooksy doing god’s work there #afcb
@SaintRob__: Add it to the list. #SaintsFC
@Hugh__Beasley: The VAR clearly thinks it’s a red. Idk how on earth the ref comes to the conclusion to give a yellow 
@Livs_Sport: Feel slightly uneasy about our fans celebrating this…. Very disappointed in Brooks for not taking his head clean off 
always next season I suppose
So let me try to understand the situation, when Cucurella got his hair pulled by Jack Stephens in December, VAR deemed it to be violent conduct and a red card
David Brooks pulls his hair and they class it as a reckless action and not violent conduct
No consistency in definition pic.twitter.com/hbIk0NycWO
— Has the Referee or VAR made a poor decision? (@PoorEPLreferees) January 14, 2025
The post Maresca: It’s a red | Iraola: Clear yellow | Managers disagree on Brooks-Cucurella clash appeared first on Fan Banter.
