Swindon Town Defends Captain Ollie Clarke Against FA Ruling
Swindon Town condemns the FA’s decision to ban captain Ollie Clarke, questioning the “balance of probabilities” used in the sexual misconduct ruling.
MADRID — The La Liga title race was thrown wide open this weekend after Real Madrid labored to a controversial 2-2 draw at Elche, managing to stay just one point ahead of a rampant Barcelona.The match, which saw Madrid have to recover from a deficit twice, ended with Elche\’s coach furious over the legality of the equalizing goal and a late dismissal.
Elche coach Eder Sarabia was left fuming after Jude Bellingham secured the 87th-minute equalizer. The goal followed a collision between substitute Vinicius Junior and Elche goalkeeper Iñaki Peña, who ended the game with a bloody nose.
Sarabia insisted the clash was a \”clear foul,\” despite Peña himself downplaying the incident. The controversy overshadowed a fine performance from mid-table Elche, who twice took the lead through Aleix Febas (53\’) and Alvaro Rodriguez (84\’) before Bellingham (87\’) and Dean Huijsen (78\’) levelled the score. Elche finished the match with 10 men after Victor Chust’s late dismissal.
Adding to Real Madrid\’s difficult day was an unfortunate pre-match incident at their annual general meeting. The club was forced to issue an apology after they mistakenly displayed a photograph of Elche forward Andre da Silva in a tribute video meant for the late former Liverpool striker Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, who died in a car crash in July. Andre da Silva himself was a threat on the field, forcing an early save from Thibaut Courtois.
The result means Real Madrid\’s winless run stretches to three matches across all competitions. Coach Xabi Alonso acknowledged the pressure, stating: \”We\’re not happy because we always want to win. After adversity is when we have to respond.\”
In the capital, Atletico Madrid added to the top-of-the-table pressure, scraping a 1-0 win at Getafe via a late own goal. Captain Koke marked his 700th game for the club, which remains unbeaten in 12 league matches and sits just four points behind Real Madrid.
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