Carlos Romero’s violent tackle on Kylian Mbappé during the Real Madrid-Espanyol match has prompted a reaction from former LaLiga referee Mateu Lahoz. He has made some disturbing revelations and maintains that the Espanyol Barcelona defender should have been sent off.
Last Saturday, during the match between Real Madrid and Espanyol, Carlos Romero made a tackle from behind on Kylian Mbappé. The action, which was violent and dangerous, immediately sparked outrage. However, referee Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz only issued a yellow card.
A decision that was misunderstood by the players, the fans and even Romero himself, who admitted after the match: ‘It was a terrible tackle’. The Real Madrid players made no secret of their anger. As soon as the action was over, they surrounded the referee, demanding a harsher penalty.
🚨| 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: L'arbitre du match contre l'Espanyol A MENTI dans son rapport d'après-match. ✅🤯
— RMadrid actu 🇫🇷 (@RMadrid_actu) February 2, 2025
✅ Il a écrit que le TACLE assassin qu'à reçu Mbappé avait pour but de "REPRENDRE LE BALLON". ❌ pic.twitter.com/pE8YZ0ZNcz
Lahoz criticises refereeing and VAR
Former LaLiga referee Mateu Lahoz, known for his outspokenness, shared his analysis. In statements relayed by Relevo, the Spanish whistling legend criticised the refereeing body and, above all, VAR.
‘This episode was difficult to understand. Very difficult. VAR exists to avoid this kind of mistake, but in this case it didn’t do much good. The reaction of the players says it all. When their team-mates sense injustice, they react immediately. It’s a natural reflex in such a tense match,’ said Mateu Lahoz.
For Lahoz, the yellow card is incomprehensible. ‘Ancelotti spoke impeccably in the press conference. It’s inexplicable and incomprehensible,’ he added. Mateu Lahoz is not content to simply criticise the decision. He is also pointing the finger at a wider crisis within the Comité Technique d’Arbitrage (CTA).
‘For the past 15 months, I have been warning that the CTA has reached an impasse. Professional referees have incredible tools at their disposal, but this does a disservice to the other categories of referees, who have fewer resources.’
He explains that this situation creates a general lack of understanding. ‘Nobody understands how referees see football. Despite all the sympathy and love for the profession, it is difficult to accept certain decisions,’ he added.
For Lahoz, the lack of consistency in refereeing decisions is damaging the credibility of Spanish football. VAR, which is supposed to correct blatant errors, is at the heart of the debate. In the case of the tackle on Mbappé, it was not used to good effect. ‘VAR has a clear role: to prevent injustice. But here it failed. Referees need to stay in control. VAR is a tool, not a miracle solution. These decisions change the course of matches. We deserve better. We need to rethink our approach. Otherwise, the credibility of Spanish football will suffer.
Madrid fans, for their part, have strongly criticised refereeing on social networks. Some are even calling for an in-depth reform of the system.
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