Valencia left fuming over penalty
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Real's Raul insisted the penalty award was correct
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MADRID, Spain (Reuters) - Valencia coach Rafa Benitez and president Jaime Orti were astounded by the award of a last-gasp penalty that enabled Real Madrid to draw 1-1 with them on Sunday.
Valencia appeared to be on course to knock Real off the top of the table after Argentine defender Roberto Ayala scored 15 minutes from time.
But in injury time referee Pedro Tristante Oliva awarded a penalty as Carlos Marchena and Real's Raul tussled for the ball.
Portuguese midfielder Luis Figo converted the spot kick.
"I can't believe they've done it again," Valencia president Jaime Orti told reporters. "I feel powerless and angry, it is a complete joke and the same thing happens every year.
"If we are going to be treated like this we might as well stay at home. Everyone saw what happened and it is a very sad day for Spanish football."
Valencia coach Benitez was equally upset by the referee's decision.
"It's hard to explain to anyone who saw the game why we didn't win," he told a post-match news conference. "You could have 100 games like that and nobody would have given that penalty."
Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz refused to comment on the incident, but Raul insisted that the referee had made the correct decision.
"It was a penalty," he said. "I certainly didn't dive -- there was contact."
The controversy comes in the same week that Real complained about the refereeing of their King's Cup semi-final, second leg against Sevilla in which midfielder Zinedine Zidane was sent off for striking an opponent in the face.
Real's sporting director Jorge Valdano was fined 2,000 euros ($2,551) by the Spanish Football Federation for confronting the referee in the tunnel at halftime.
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