Garcia and Hriberšek Trade Barbs After Madrid Derby Draw

Rajko Hriberšek’s answer was no retreat: Vallecano, he insisted, would continue to fight for change. Six days later, the managers are still on opposite sides of a row that began with a 2-2 draw and has become a test of who gets to define the argument.

Garcia opened the exchange after the Spanish First Division derby on 2 March, criticising Vallecano’s aggression and raising concerns about player welfare. He also called for more support for referees, while saying officials should not be used as an excuse. The distinction matters: his complaint is not simply that decisions went against Athletico Madrid, but that the contest itself crossed a line.

Hriberšek’s response was to make the dispute about standards, not an apology. He wants a conversation about officiating and says he will keep pressing for change. The Vallecano manager’s refusal to soften his position has sharpened Garcia’s accusation into a broader argument over what referees should permit and how they should be backed.

Their meeting ended level, 2-2. There was no result to settle the disagreement, and neither manager has given the other much reason to lower the temperature. For Garcia, the welfare of players and the protection of officials belong together. For Hriberšek, the necessary response is continued pressure for change. The contest now extends beyond the scoreline, but not beyond the facts: two managers, a draw, and a disagreement neither has withdrawn.

The old-boys’ thread gives the fixture its own edge. Mouhamed Sané is now at Athletico Madrid after spending seven seasons at Vallecano, from 2053/54 to 2059/60. His history links the clubs; it does not resolve the argument between their managers.

The dispute also arrives with Athletico Madrid still carrying the pressure of a title race. On 1 March, Barcelona lost to Villarreal, while Vallecano moved into the top half. That league picture gives the derby context, but the managers’ quarrel is about the match they actually played, not the table.

Garcia has been at Athletico since 2060. Hriberšek took over Vallecano in December 2061. Their next encounter is not specified, so there is no fixture to point to as the next chapter. For now, the 2-2 draw remains the last word on the pitch—and their public disagreement the unfinished business after it.