‘Clear and obvious’ – CTA confirm error before Girona’s winner against Barcelona

Madrid – Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) has admitted that Girona’s decisive goal in their recent La Liga victory over Barcelona should never have stood, acknowledging a “clear, obvious, and manifest error” by the match officials.

Fran Beltran’s 88th-minute strike sealed a dramatic win for the hosts, yet replays showed that the build-up featured Girona midfielder Claudio Echeverri treading heavily on Barcelona defender Jules Kounde. The incident went unpunished on the pitch, and the goal was allowed to stand, prompting fierce protests from the Catalan side.

In a statement released after reviewing the footage, the CTA concluded: “If a player steps on another with unnecessary force, it should be penalized. The CTA believes the Girona player recklessly stepped on his opponent, taking him out of the defensive action. This infraction should be penalized with a foul and a yellow card. VAR should have intervened as it was a clear, obvious, and manifest error. They should have recommended to the referee, after reviewing the monitor, that the decision be overturned.”

Barcelona’s players and staff were left incensed by the non-call, and the belated confirmation from the governing body is unlikely to soothe the sense of injustice around the club. The defeat could have significant implications in the tightly contested race at the top of the La Liga table, though the CTA’s statement will not alter the final scoreline.

The admission once again spotlights the ongoing debate over the consistency and timeliness of VAR interventions in Spanish football, with critics arguing that preventable mistakes continue to influence pivotal matches.