The Spanish Referee’s Committee (CTA) announced on Tuesday that Girona’s winning goal against Barcelona last week should have been disallowed. The goal, scored by Fran Beltrán in the 86th minute, led Girona to a surprising 2-1 victory at Montilivi on February 16. Barcelona argued that the goal should have been ruled out due to a foul on Jules Koundé during the buildup.
It was revealed that on-loan Manchester City forward Claudio Echeverri had stepped on Koundé’s foot in the action leading to Beltrán’s goal, with both the CTA and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) stating that VAR should have intervened in this instance.
According to the RFEF and CTA, “In an individual duel outside the penalty area, a Girona forward stepped on a Barcelona defender’s foot with his studs just before passing the ball to a teammate.” They further explained, “The VAR reviewed the entire attacking phase and considered it an incident open to the referee’s interpretation, ultimately upholding the on-pitch decision.” However, they noted that “Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct” indicates that a reckless stamp constitutes a foul and warrants a caution. Stepping on an opponent’s foot with excessive force should be penalized.
The CTA confirmed, “The Girona forward’s action removes the defender from the play, and therefore, a foul and a yellow card should have been issued. VAR should have intervened, as this is a clear and obvious error.”
Barcelona took to social media later the same day to humorously voice their support of the clarification regarding the VAR oversight, posting: “Owning a mistake is a big step. Avoiding it is the next.”
This controversial decision followed shortly after Barcelona had sent a letter to the RFEF and the CTA, expressing their concerns about various refereeing and VAR inconsistencies after a Pau Cubarsí goal was ruled offside after a seven-minute review during a 4-0 Copa del Rey semifinal first-leg loss to Atlético Madrid.
The allowance of Beltrán’s goal only intensified Barcelona’s frustration. Coach Hansi Flick mentioned he did not want to use the incident as an excuse, admitting that his team matched the officials in poor performance.
Raphinha added to the discussions, claiming that Barcelona plays under different rules compared to other teams after their defeat to Girona caused them to lose their top spot in LaLiga to Real Madrid.
Despite the setback, Barcelona reclaimed first place over the past weekend by defeating Levante 3-0 at Spotify Camp Nou, taking advantage of Real Madrid’s loss to Osasuna, which ended their eight-game winning streak.
As the season approaches its final stretch with 13 games remaining, Barcelona currently holds 61 points, just one ahead of Madrid. The two teams are set to clash in a potentially title-deciding Clásico at Camp Nou in early May.