Watch – Referee’s explanation for not awarding Barcelona the penalty vs Las Palmas | OneFootball

Barcelona lost 1-2 to Las Palmas at Montjuic in the 15th matchday of La Liga earlier today, but the match was marred by a controversial refereeing decision that could have altered the scoreline, stemming from a crucial incident.

It was the 88th minute when Las Palmas defender Mika Marmol, formerly of Barcelona, stepped on the right foot of Pau Cubarsi in his own penalty area, causing the teenage centre-back to fall as he attempted to head the ball.

The Barça players, led by Cubarsi, who ended up with a bloodied ankle as evidence of the stamp, immediately appealed to the referee, Adrian Cordero Vega, for a penalty.

However, the match official quickly denied the foul, while the VAR also deemed the decision right and did not intervene, much to the frustration of the home team.

Referee’s explanation

Now, a video has emerged which shows the referee explaining his decision to the Barcelona players, with him arguing that the Las Palmas defender had not seen Cubarsi, which he used as a key reason for not awarding the penalty.

“Nothing, nothing… But he is looking at the ball!” explained Cordero Vega to Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez, referring to Marmol’s involvement.

To further justify his decision, Cordero Vega repeated three times: “He does not see you, he does not see you, he does not see you…”, as captured by Movistar cameras.

In the replay of the incident, it could be seen that Cubarsi was ahead of Marmol just before falling due to the impact of the Las Palmas player’s studs on his right boot.

Despite this, the action was not deemed worthy of a penalty by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), Mateo Busquets Ferrer, either.

Later, in the 94th minute, Barcelona forward Pau Victor also appealed for a penalty after being grabbed by Las Palmas defender Scott McKenna inside the Canary Islands team’s penalty area but it was not given either.