Racing Santander’s complaint has been upheld in the most authoritative place possible: inside the referee establishment itself.
The CTA’s analysis, published on Wednesday, was unsparing on referee José Luis Munuera Montero’s decision to point to the spot after minimal contact from Racing’s Matteo Prati.
“Not a penalty. Clear absence of cause and effect. Clear and manifest error by the referee. VAR should have intervened.”
According to the committee, Mbappé controlled the ball inside the box while Prati placed his arm across him without applying force. The ruling also faults Luis Mario Milla, the VAR official on the night, for failing to call Munuera Montero over to the pitchside monitor.
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Racing’s captain had already said the same
Racing captain Iñigo Sainz-Maza did not wait for the committee to validate his view. Speaking to Goal after the match, the Segunda División side’s captain said he and his team-mates had watched the replay several times and could not accept it as a foul.
“Anyone who has played football knows it was not a penalty.”
He aimed his sharper point at the technology rather than the whistle.
“The referee may make a mistake, but we also don’t understand why VAR didn’t intervene to correct the decision.”
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Racing midfielder Iván Martín, speaking to reporters at half-time, said Munuera Montero had told the Racing bench that VAR had confirmed the contact over his headset. The CTA’s verdict makes clear that the contact it confirmed was not enough to be a foul.
3-0 by the half-hour
Mbappé’s conversion turned a tight cup tie into a one-sided afternoon. Jude Bellingham doubled the lead in the 21st minute and Yan Diomande made it three before the half-hour, as ESPN’s match report records. By half-time the match was effectively over.
The CTA’s rulings are internal assessments. They do not restore points or change the scoreline, and Real Madrid’s 3-0 win at El Sardinero stands.
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