Athletic Club Suffers Severe Blow in Europa League Semifinal

Bilbao, Spain – In a crucial moment of the Europa League semifinal, Athletic Club faced a severe blow against Manchester United on May 1, 2025. With the score at 0-1, Athletic’s chances diminished drastically after a controversial call by the VAR.

A cross into the box led to a fall by United’s forward Hojlund, who was challenged by Athletic’s Vivian. After reviewing the footage, Norwegian referee Eskas awarded a penalty to Manchester United and issued a red card to Vivian, leaving Athletic with ten players going into the second half.

The decision ignited outrage among the home crowd at San Mamés Stadium. Sports analyst Iturralde González commented on the call, stating, “It’s a subjective decision. The referee believed it was a clear goal-scoring opportunity, thus making it a penalty and a sending-off offense.”

Earlier in the match, another pivotal moment involved Raphinha, who was penalized with a yellow card for simulation after he fell following minimal contact from Asencio. Iturralde noted, “Raphinha was looking for a foul but went down too easily. The VAR intervention was necessary to correct the on-field error.”

In another discussion, Tchouameni was nearly booked for a dangerous tackle on Dani Olmo, with Iturralde stating, “It was a rough challenge, and if he had connected fully, it would have warranted a red card. However, since he did not make complete contact, it was only a yellow card.”

The game also featured a non-call for a handball by Valverde, which the referee deemed unpunishable as it was not intentional and involved the arm used for support. Furthermore, Lucas Vázquez should have received a yellow for a high challenge on Raphinha early in the first half.

Despite these contentious decisions, the match continued with Manchester United leading and Athletic forced to adapt under challenging circumstances.