The Spanish Football Federation’s Referees Committee acted swiftly following the controversy surrounding Barcelona’s 2-1 defeat to Girona in La Liga Matchday 24, a loss that saw the Catalan side relinquish their top spot in the standings.
VAR Debacle Sparks Anger at Barcelona
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According to AS, the Referees Committee acknowledged a significant error by VAR referee David Gálvez Rascón. He failed to call on on-field referee César Sotogrado to review a clear foul on Jules Koundé’s ankle, which preceded Girona’s decisive second goal.
The incident sparked widespread debate, particularly as refereeing experts deemed the goal illegitimate and argued it should have been disallowed due to the obvious foul. This triggered outrage within Barcelona’s management and coaching staff, led by Hansi Flick.
Indefinite Suspension
As a result, the Referees Committee decided to suspend Rascón indefinitely from his duties as a video assistant referee (VAR), without specifying the duration of the suspension. This is one of the harshest refereeing decisions this season, especially as it came after impactful errors in the title race.
The decision sends a clear message about the strict approach to technical errors that directly affect match results at this crucial stage of the season.
Another Punishment in the Real Madrid Match
The disciplinary actions did not stop there. The committee also decided to punish Daniel Jesús Trujillo, the VAR referee in the Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad match.
The referee was demoted in the next round to assistant VAR duties instead of serving as the main VAR official, following the controversy surrounding the penalty awarded to Vinícius Júnior after a foul inside the penalty area.
The Title Race Heats Up
These recent decisions reflect the immense pressure on the Spanish refereeing system as the La Liga title race intensifies, with every move now subject to close scrutiny from clubs, fans, and the media.
As the season enters its crucial stages, any new refereeing error could spark an even bigger storm in one of the most controversial editions of the Spanish league in recent years.
