Expert Referees Outraged By No Red Card Decision For Espanyol Player Against Real Madrid (Report)
Real Madrid staff and players were left stunned when Espanyol defender Carlos Romero was not shown a red card for his reckless tackle on Kylian Mbappe in the 61st minute of the game.
They were even angrier when the same player scored an 85th-minute winner as Los Blancos fell to a devastating 1-0 La Liga defeat.
Romero received a yellow card for this tackle on Mbappé. pic.twitter.com/qmXZ8nZe3T
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 1, 2025
Head coach Carlo Ancelotti criticized the decision, calling it "inexplicable" by the referee and VAR. A recent report from MARCA backed up his reaction to the incident.
The sports newspaper spoke to ten former and current referees, who agreed that Romero should have been given a red card. One even called it 'the biggest mistake in years.'
The experts believe the referee should have seen enough to produce a red card at the moment of the foul, as he only showed a yellow to the Espanyol defender. However, the big question was why VAR did not ask the official to review the decision.
The result can not be changed, and Real Madrid also needs to look at themselves, wasting several big chances. However, the decision will surely be reviewed by the CTA.
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Jordan Merritt is a freelance soccer writer who covers Real Madrid CF On SI. He is an obsessive soccer fan and an Arsenal supporter.