Referees’ committee backs the critics
The penalty that set Real Madrid on their way at Santander should not have been awarded. That is the verdict of the Spanish referees’ technical committee (CTA), which reviewed the incident in its matchday 9 debrief today, three days after Real’s 3-0 win.
The moment came in the 11th minute with the game goalless. Santander midfielder Matteo Prati was penalised for a challenge on Kylian Mbappé in the area, and Mbappé converted from the spot. The committee’s reading is blunt: Prati put an arm out without applying any force, there was no causal link, and the referee made a clear and obvious error. “This is not a penalty,” it ruled, adding that VAR should have intervened.
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What it changes, and what it does not
Nothing on the scoreboard, of course. Real went on to add goals from Jude Bellingham on 21 minutes and Yan Diomandé on 36, and the result stands. The ruling does feed a story that has been running in the Catalan press, which has been loud about the refereeing in that game.
It also lands on a team in decent form. Jose Mourinho’s side have won four league games in a row and sit third, one point behind second-placed Atletico Madrid and three behind leaders Barcelona.
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