“Lying to your face” – Player with emotional officiating rant just months after Leeds United exit

Diego Llorente arrived at Real Betis in the summer window after spending four years at Leeds United.

The La Liga side were insistent on securing his services and this was revealed by the 31-year-old himself last month. He had pushed Real Betis to speed up the negotiations with Leeds.

At the weekend, the former Leeds man played the full 90 minutes in the Andalusian club’s derby defeat against Sevilla. Dodi Lukébakio converted from the spot kick in the 50th minute and that proved to be the difference between the two sides.

The centre-back is of the belief that Sevilla shouldn’t have been awarded the penalty. He made his feeling clear and criticised referee Martínez Munuera. His comments are relayed by Sport.

The incident took place in the 47th minute when a header from Sevilla glazes Llorente’s left arm, which was in a natural position, inside Real Betis’ box. Munuera, after getting assistance from VAR, awarded a penalty to Sevilla.

Sport say Munuera’s decision ‘angered the entire Betis squad, who vehemently protested the action’. Llorente is clearly disappointed in the manner in which Manuel Pellegrini’s side had to accept the defeat.

“The truth is that the penalty… I just saw the images and I don’t understand anything. My hands are down, he says I have them open and at no time do I have my hands horizontal,” he said.

“It’s no longer only that he calls a penalty, which is what he can interpret on the field, but that the VAR doesn’t call him and on top of that tells him that my hands are like that, it is disrespectful to us, it is regrettable to be honest.”

“The referees have been using the VAR for a while now, there are no excuses, and in the end they take care of themselves. The explanations that we have all seen on television are lies. It’s not just that you’re saying it, but on top of that they’re lying to your face, it’s inexplicable to me.”

“We have to criticise ourselves, but we have to punch the table because the other day against Las Palmas they kneed a teammate in the head before touching the ball and it was also a penalty.”

“So, I think it’s enough for us, here we fight every week so that when there are plays, at least they go to see them on the VAR, that’s what it’s for, it’s a tool that’s there for that.”