Girona vs Barcelona controversy as CTA admits VAR should have intervened in Echeverri–Kounde incident | OneFootball

A tense Catalan derby ended in frustration for FC Barcelona as their narrow defeat away to Girona was overshadowed by another major refereeing controversy that continues to dominate the post-match discussion.

Barcelona arrived at the Estadi Montilivi fully aware of the fixture’s significance in the title race. The Blaugranes started aggressively, determined to claim all three points and regain momentum after their demoralising defeat to Atletico Madrid. Girona, however, matched Barcelona’s intensity and made the most of key moments to edge a closely contested encounter.

The decisive talking point came late in the second half when Claudio Echeverri stamped on Jules Kounde in the build-up to Girona’s second goal, scored by Fran Beltrán. The infringement was not punished by referee César Soto Grado, and the goal was allowed to stand, sparking immediate protests from the Barcelona players and bench.

According to information from within the Comité Técnico de Árbitros, as reported by Mundo Deportivo, there is a clear internal consensus that the incident should have been reviewed. The view held by the refereeing body is that VAR had a duty to intervene once the goal was scored, as the stamp formed part of the same attacking phase. Under current guidelines, this type of action leaves no room for interpretation and should not be considered a grey area.

The responsibility fell on VAR official Dávid Gálvez, who should have advised the referee to review the footage on the monitor. From the perspective of the CTA, the failure to do so constitutes a clear error, particularly as the on-field referee did not appear to see the incident in real time.

Adding to the sense of frustration, the official match report contains no reference to the lengthy exchange between Hansi Flick and the referee after the final whistle. The report only lists the disciplinary actions taken including four yellow cards and a late red card shown to Joel Roca.

For Barcelona, the admission from the CTA offers little consolation. The points are gone, and the controversy only deepens the feeling that a decisive moment was mishandled on a night when margins were already razor-thin.