Clásico controversy: CTA rules Cancelo should have been booked

Clásico controversy: CTA rules Cancelo should have been booked The Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) analyzed the most contentious incidents from the recent Clásico between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid on its regular show, Tiempo de Revisión. In its weekly installment, the refereeing body issued its official verdict on the two most controversial moments from last Sunday’s match, assessing the decisions made by referee Martínez Munuera on the pitch. The first incident under scrutiny was the appeal for handball against Alejandro Balde inside the penalty area as he faced Kylian Mbappé. The committee upheld the referee’s on-field interpretation, stating that his arm was in a natural position. By contrast, the CTA did identify a disciplinary error in João Cancelo’s hard tackle on Diomande during an opposition attacking transition. According to the official explanation, the full-back caught part of the attacker’s leg as he advanced with the ball. Although the committee ruled out excessive force or brutality warranting a straight red card, it concluded that the challenge was clearly reckless and that a yellow card should have been shown. With these findings, the committee backed the referee’s judgment inside the penalty area in correctly declining to award a penalty, but highlighted the lack of disciplinary firmness in the clash between Cancelo and Diomande, formally concluding its refereeing review of a Clásico that once again reignited debate in the football world. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.