Neither referee, Munuera Montero nor Hernández Hernández, considered that there was a penalty on the field.
Interpreting a penalty is never easy, even with the intervention of VAR. For the players, it is a moment of heightened tension; for referees, a decision that can define the match; and for fans, the perfect excuse for endless debate.
Sometimes this controversy goes beyond the field and even spills over into the commentary booth, as happened to Juan Carlos Rivero and Mario Suárez during the match between Real Madrid and Celta de Vigo at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The ‘Blancos’ emerged victorious after extra time, securing their place in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey. However, the scoreline quickly became secondary to a disputed incident before the first goal: Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin and Celta striker Williot Swedberg were involved in an action that many interpreted as deserving of a penalty.
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Despite the fall, neither Munuera Montero nor Hernández Hernández saw any reason to whistle or revisit the incident. To make matters worse, Kylian Mbappé quickly opened the scoring with a magnificent goal.
-On social networks, some criticized the inaction of the VAR, while Madrid supporters defended that the contact was initiated by the attacker himself. This debate surrounding the controversial incident was unintentionally fueled by comments from TVE.
During the broadcast, Rivero and Suárez got into a heated discussion regarding the action, thinking their microphones were off. “Don’t be like that… the referee has to see it and make the decision,” Suárez commented, clarifying his position. In response, the lead commenter failed to grasp his implication and did not acknowledge the contact, replying: “If he already whistled, why should he see anything?”
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It wasn’t just the technical blunder that attracted attention. Mario Suárez, former Atlético de Madrid player, did not hide his red and white colors, insisting live that in his opinion it was a penalty, even after having only seen one slow motion. Many interpreted this position as a passionate defense of his interests, while others called it bias.
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