Myopic linesman

This clip comes from a televised Almerĺa vs Cádiz encounter in Spain’s Segunda División.

Trailing by two goals, the away side hoof a free-kick up the pitch in search of a way back into the match. As the ball is sailing through the air, the nearside linesman, Manuel Rodriguez Vallejo,spots a bit of shirt-pulling on terra firma. He signals for a penalty and hands Cádiz a lifeline.

Vallejo was always destined for notoriety in his homeland, what with the foul that produced the penalty occurring way outside the area. But it takes more than a bad decision to ensure worldwide fame. Vallejo’s interweb infamy was guaranteed by the media’s universal love of a bad joke: the eagle-eyed official is about to embark on a Masters in optometry.

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