Real Madrid's victory over Mallorca at Santiago Bernabéu was once again marked by refereeing controversy. Beyond the comeback by the Whites, attention focused on the decision to disallow a goal by Arda Güler due to a previous handball in the 56th minute. The play sparked an immediate debate that strongly echoed across social media, where influential Madridist voices harshly criticized the referee's criteria.
The interpretation of the rule and the concept of "immediacy"
The referee applied the new rule that invalidates any goal scored immediately after contact with the hand or arm, whether intentional or not. The problem lies in determining exactly what "immediacy" means. In this play, Güler touched the ball with his hand, shot, the goalkeeper deflected, and then he scored on the rebound. The question is whether that sequence should be considered immediate or not. For the referee, the answer was yes, which caused outrage among the Whites' fans and sparked an open debate among analysts.
Journalist Alfredo Duro used harsh irony regarding what happened. He stated that the so-called "Refereeing Reform" means a team needs to score three goals for one to count, while the rest are awarded immediately. His message reflected the sense of helplessness among part of the Madridist community, convinced that the rules are enforced with special severity when Real Madrid are on the field.
Another of the harshest critics was Tomás Roncero, who described the situation as "scandalous." He claimed that Spanish refereeing is going through its worst moment in history and linked the controversy to an alleged favoritism toward Barça. He recalled a goal awarded to Atlético while offside and added, "Poor Rayo." The Vallecas team will have to face the blaugranas tomorrow with refereeing that, in his view, always benefits them. His words fueled the tension ahead of the Catalan side's match.
The controversy isn't limited to Güler's goal, but also includes two goals disallowed for Mbappé for offside in this same match. In total, Real Madrid celebrated five goals, but only two counted on the scoreboard. This circumstance reinforces the argument of those who believe that refereeing decisions excessively influenced a match that, nevertheless, ended with a victory for the Whites. La Liga is now set for a regulatory debate that will likely continue throughout the week.
In any case, Real Madrid have secured their third win and a commendable nine out of nine points (9 de 9) at the start of the league. With their work done, the pressure now falls on Barça and the other teams that keep performing, such as Villarreal or Athletic.