The match between RCD Espanyol and Real Madrid left an incident that has caused a great stir in Spanish soccer. In a play during the first half, Carlos Romero, Espanyol's left-back, committed a foul on Kylian Mbappé that was quickly identified as dangerous.
The action consisted of a tackle from behind on the French forward, who was in full stride to lead a counterattack. The impact was strong and brought Mbappé down, but surprisingly, the match referee, Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz, only showed Romero a yellow card. Although many refereeing experts agreed that the tackle deserved a direct red card, the referee did not consider this option.
Real Madrid's Reaction and Madridism's Outrage
Muñiz Ruiz's decision was a clear turning point for Madridism, which showed its anger over the lack of justice. Besides the card error, the match continued, and in the 85th minute, Romero scored the goal that gave Espanyol the victory.
This series of factors increased Madridism's frustration, leading Real Madrid to send a letter to the RFEF and the CSD. In the letter, the club demanded explanations for what they considered a serious error affecting the match's development and the integrity of the game.
Disciplinary Measures by the Technical Committee of Referees
The impact of the play was so significant that the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) decided to take action. In an unprecedented measure, Muñiz Ruiz and the match's VAR referee, Iglesias Villanueva, were removed from their next refereeing assignment.
Both referees were withdrawn from officiating the Atlético de Madrid-Getafe match in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, which was played two days later. The CTA's "punishment" sent a clear message that serious errors, especially in important matches, would not be tolerated.
The Current Situation of the Referees and the Uncertain Future
As a result of the controversy, Muñiz Ruiz was left without an assignment for the matches of LaLiga's 24th round. The CTA maintained its initial sanction, preventing the Galician referee from officiating in the round scheduled from February 14.
Iglesias Villanueva was not completely excluded and will continue as AVAR, a role with less responsibility than directly refereeing. This situation has cast doubt on the future of both referees, who must regain the committee's and fans' trust.
The controversy has not been unique, as another referee, García Verdura, was also removed from the 24th round due to a wrong decision in another recent match. In this case, he did not adequately sanction Connor Gallagher for a foul on Jon Salas of RCD Mallorca. If the red card had been shown, Gallagher would not have played in the classic, highlighting the importance of key refereeing decisions.