Real Madrid’s nightmare on Saturday in La Liga’s 22nd matchday saw Espanyol Barcelona’s left-back, Carlos Romero, make a shocking revelation about his viral tackle on Kylian Mbappé.
Week after week, the same controversies unfold in Spain. Refereeing has been at the heart of debates in La Liga for years, and the referee for the Espanyol Barcelona – Real Madrid clash delivered a catastrophic performance this Saturday. In this match officiated by Alejandro Muniz Ruiz, several key incidents stood out. After Carlo Ancelotti’s men suffered a bitter defeat, struggling against a team that only defended, the entire football world is talking about a nasty tackle endured by Kylian Mbappé in the 61st minute.
“The foul was nasty”
Indeed, as Real Madrid launched a counter-attack, Espanyol defender Carlos Romero committed a reckless tackle on the Madrid forward. Unable to catch up with the number 9, the defender had no other option but to make a dreadful challenge that could have caused a serious injury. While such a tackle usually warrants a straight red card, the referee only showed a yellow. Even VAR, which is supposed to correct such decisions, failed to intervene—much to everyone’s astonishment.
Questioned about his foul after the match, Romero—who later went on to score the game’s only goal in the 85th minute—made a candid admission. “It was a tough match. We knew we were going to suffer, but we fought until the end,” the Espanyol player first told DAZN Spain before continuing: “It’s impossible to stop Kylian Mbappé. The foul was nasty, I know. I didn’t like what I did. I apologised to him. That was it, and it didn’t go any further.”
A clear admission that has fuelled even more controversy in Spain, where refereeing scandals arise every weekend, much to Florentino Pérez’s frustration. Once again, it promises to be a turbulent week for Spanish referees, who show no signs of changing their ways.
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