Relegation for CD Tenerife is all but certain but the Canarian side has attracted some sympathy due to what it sees as harsh treatment by referees throughout the season.
The home draw last Sunday against Eibar (1-1) represented arguably Tenerife’s last chance to avoid the embarrassing drop into the third tier of Spanish football and relegation could be confirmed this weekend away at promotion favourites Levante.
While there is no disputing that on-the-field performances have been dismal for most of a season that has seen three managers take charge of the Canarian side, pundits and fans agree that a host of refereeing decisions have not gone Tenerife’s way and up to ten crucial points could have been lost as a result.
The matter became a source of national debate on sports programmes this week, which analysed a goal by Maikel Mesa against Eibar that was inexplicably ruled out by referee Sánchez Villalobos for a non-existent foul by Mesa. In an earlier controversy saw the home side denied a penalty, a decision that came on the heels of two controversial penalty decisions that went against Tenerife in La Coruña the previous week.
Top football commentators including Manolo Lama and Siro López from the high-audience Cadena Cope radio station have highlighted the biased treatment of Tenerife by referees, with Lama openly describing it as “scandalous week after week” during the Eibar coverage.
Furious fans staged a noisy protest at the perceived injustices suffered by their side, with thousands jeering and waving white handkerchiefs (the traditional show of discontent at football matches in Spain) at one stage during the Eibar match.
Photo: CD Tenerife
