The Technical Committee of Referees of the Spanish Football Federation expressed its official opinion regarding Real Madrid’s demand to award a penalty kick in favor of its French striker, Kylian Mbappe, in their match against Girona, which ended in a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Friday evening.
“Sport” newspaper reported that the Spanish Federation analyzed the controversial shot in the match, in which “Mbappe” fell inside the penalty area after colliding with “Vitor Reis’ elbow,” which caused the French player to bleed, during a new episode of the “Review Time” program.
In its commentary on the game, the committee considered that it was the result of contact between the players, as the defender collided with the attacker’s face, and at almost the same moment, Mbappé’s leg pinned to the ground collided, amid a strong movement and a clear rush, and indicated that the referee, Alberola Rojas, who was in a good place, made the decision to continue playing.
The committee explained that the referee may have considered the contact resulting from the collision itself and a natural movement, and did not notice an illegal use of the arm that warranted a penalty, considering that his decision relied on his direct assessment because there was no conclusive evidence from his point of view.
However, the committee concluded in its final evaluation that the act was reckless, and that the defender used his arm to create space for himself before hitting the Real Madrid striker in the face, which means that the game should have been awarded a penalty kick for the Royal team.
On the other hand, the committee absolved the video assistant technology (VAR) of any responsibility, and clarified that the matter was related to the interpretation of the situation, and did not amount to a clear and clear error on the part of the arena referee, and therefore the lack of technical intervention was correct in accordance with the approved protocol. (coora)
