During the 54th minute of the match, Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham went down in Barcelona’s penalty area after being struck by an elbow from Eric Garcia. The Englishman suffered a cut on his lip as a result of the contact. Referee Alejandro Hernández Hernández did not deem the incident a foul, and the VAR chose not to intervene.
The Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) later issued a statement explaining their position: “Contacts in such situations should be assessed based on their force, intent, and consequences. From the CTA’s perspective, this action was performed within the natural dynamics of the defending player’s movement. As Garcia moved, his hand ultimately made contact with the opponent’s face. We consider that the on-field decision could stand. Therefore, this is a situation entirely open to interpretation, and according to VAR philosophy, there is no clear and obvious error. Thus, the non-intervention of the video assistants complies with the protocol.”
Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s official television channel reacted strongly to the incident, labeling it a clear penalty and a red card. “The Negreira League and Tebas – a circus and a laughingstock. This is an obvious penalty and sending off. If there were no issue, the replay would have been shown calmly,” the channel stated.
