The weeks follow one another and are similar on the other side of the Pyrenees. While La Liga tried to ease tensions surrounding the refereeing body by establishing a new system for public debriefing of men with the whistle, controversy once again erupted this Sunday. On the pitch of Racing Santander (0-3), Real Madrid secured a precious victory in the title race. However, the success of the Merengues was immediately eclipsed by a huge controversy reignited by the Catalan press, enraged by the penalty which broke the deadlock in the 11th minute of play.
At the heart of the storm: Kylian Mbappé. After a delicate sequence marked by his second place in the Ballon d’Or and a diplomatic incident with China with very serious consequences, the French striker caused the opening of the scoring by collapsing in the opposing area, slightly held by the arm. A decision perceived as a real robbery by the Barcelona media, accusing the Frenchman of simulation and denouncing two-tier arbitration favoring the capital club.
The most virulent charge came from Mundo Deportivowho did not mince his words against the French international and the refereeing body. The Spanish daily strongly castigated a “ridiculous penalty” obtained on “an imperceptible contact, sufficient to send the French attacker to the ground”. Alluding to the supposed pressure from Casa Blanca on the arbitration, the newspaper hit the nail on the head with bitterness: “Real Madrid, known for its dubious maneuvers and low blows, beat Racing thanks to the help of the referee. »
“A terrifying penalty”
Pushing the irony further on the central action, the media added that the referee had awarded “a penalty for a foul on Mbappé that he was the only one to have seen. But since he was also the only one with a whistle, he whistled. »
Before concluding with an acidic tackle: “ Drama or bad luck? We’ll never know. What is certain, however, is that this referee will not be able to watch the replays on RMTV. »
The newspaper Sport subscribed to the same register of indignation by bluntly headlined: “Trickery, manipulation and a terrifying penalty to kick off Madrid”. According to the Catalan daily, Racing Santander experienced “an afternoon of horror at El Sardinero (…), whose game plan was destroyed by Mbappé’s simulation”. While highlighting the rise in sporting power of José Mourinho’s men, Sport recalls that “ everything is easier to accept when the controversy turns in your favor”, conceding that Madrid is approaching the summits “thanks to his progress in many aspects of his game and some decisions heavily criticized by his rivals.”
While Real is now three lengths behind Barça, this new Mbappé affair proves that the climate surrounding Spanish arbitration remains more toxic than ever.
