Spanish officials claim VAR overlooked foul on Koundé during Barcelona defeat.
The Spanish Referee’s Committee [CTA] stated on Tuesday that Girona’s decisive goal against Barcelona from last week should have been disallowed.
Fran Beltrán netted in the 86th minute, securing an unexpected 2-1 win for Girona at Montilivi on February 16, but Barcelona believed the goal should have been invalidated due to a foul on Jules Koundé during the buildup.
Claudio Echeverri, on loan from Manchester City, stepped on the foot of the French defender in the sequence leading to Beltrán’s goal, with both the CTA and the Spanish Football Federation [RFEF] affirming that VAR should have intervened.
“In an individual confrontation outside the penalty area, a Girona player steps on a Barcelona defender’s foot with his studs just before passing the ball to a teammate,” the RFEF and CTA remarked.
“The VAR examined the entire attacking sequence and, viewing it as a situation open to the referee’s judgment, upheld the on-field decision and confirmed the goal.
“‘Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct’ specifies that a reckless stamp is considered a foul and warrants a caution. Challenging for the ball does not exempt a player from committing an infraction.
“If a player steps on an opponent with excessive force, it must be penalized. According to the CTA of the RFEF, the Girona player impedes the defender’s ability to defend, and thus the foul should be punished with a free kick and a yellow card.
“VAR should intervene, as this represents a clear and obvious mistake, and advise the referee to amend the decision.”
This disputed ruling followed shortly after Barcelona had sent a letter to the RFEF and the CTA expressing concerns over various inconsistencies in officiating and VAR, particularly after a Pau Cubarsí goal was disallowed for offside—following a seven-minute review—in their 4-0 Copa del Rey semifinal first leg loss to Atlético Madrid.
The validation of Beltrán’s goal only heightened the frustration of the Catalan club, although Flick mentioned he did not wish to use it as an excuse since his team had performed poorly as well as the officials.
Raphinha, on the other hand, lamented that Barcelona seems to play under different regulations compared to other teams after their loss to Girona caused them to relinquish the top position in LaLiga to Real Madrid.
Nevertheless, they reclaimed the lead this past weekend by defeating Levante 3-0 at Spotify Camp Nou, just one day after Madrid’s eight-match winning streak in the league was halted by a 2-1 loss to Osasuna.
With 13 matches remaining, Barcelona holds 61 points, one ahead of Madrid, with the two clubs set to clash in a potentially title-deciding Clásico at Camp Nou in early May.
