Former referee provides insight into Romero’s foul on Real Madrid forward – ‘A very red’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid suffered a frustrating 0-1 defeat against Espanyol, with the match’s only goal coming from a counter-attack by Carlos Romero.

This goal turned out to be the focal point of frustration for Madrid fans, but it was not the only incident in the match that sparked outrage.

One moment in particular, which occurred in the 60th minute, left many questioning the refereeing decisions.

Kylian Mbappe was sprinting down the wing when he was fouled from behind by Romero. The Madrid players immediately appealed for a direct red card, believing it was a dangerous challenge on their star player.

Former referee’s take

Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez, a former referee, shared his opinion on the incident, agreeing with Madrid’s anger. He described the challenge as a clear red card and one of the worst tackles he had seen in a long time.

Iturralde emphasized that if Romero had caught Mbappe properly, the outcome could have been far more serious, potentially ruining the player’s career.

Gonzalez says Romero’s challenge on Mbappe should have been a red card. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

“It’s a very red and even redder red. And the referee has to see it. It’s one of the worst tackles I’ve seen in a long time. If he catches him well, it could ruin Mbappe’s career,” he said as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.

Attack on the match referee

His comments didn’t stop there, as he also took the opportunity to criticize the current state of the VAR system. Iturralde expressed frustration with how former referees are being assigned to VAR duties.

He argued that the system should not serve as a ‘pension plan’ for retired referees, adding that the current approach was not good enough for the game.

“I am against the VAR becoming a pension plan for retired referees. If you are not good enough, you are not good enough.

The former referee stated that Spain was taking too long to establish a dedicated group of VAR referees who are genuinely qualified for the role.

He called for fewer referees in the VAR system, suggesting that it should be handled by specialists rather than former referees who may no longer be up to the task.

“The RFEF only wants two years in the VAR. We are taking too long in Spain to be the first to take an exclusive group of VAR and stay eight or ten years. They really should be VAR referees.

“And the fewer there are, the better. It cannot be that this thing of me stopping refereeing and getting into the VAR,” he noted.

The incident sparked debate about the state of officiating in Spain and the role VAR should play in modern football, with many fans and experts calling for improvement in how the technology is used.