Real Madrid’s title hopes suffered a major blow after Friday’s controversial 1-1 draw against Girona FC at the Bernabeu. Interim head coach Alvaro Arbeloa hit out at the standards and pointed to a late VAR decision that denied his side a crucial penalty.
The result leaves Madrid six points behind league leaders FC Barcelona, who also have a game in hand, significantly denting their title bid with just seven matchdays remaining. Arbeloa did not hold back in his post-match assessment, questioning the consistency of the VAR interventions after a late elbow on Kylian Mbappe he went unpunished.
“That’s the punishment here and on the moon,” said Arbeloa. “I don’t understand when VAR intervenes; they only seem to use it when it suits their whims. Today just reinforces my belief that the referees are constantly hurting us this season.”
The frustration reflects wider concerns in Spanish football, with Barcelona boss Hansi Flick also criticizing the officiating in recent matches, including defeats to Girona and Atletico Madrid.
“It’s the same in every game. It’s unbelievable. You don’t need VAR for that. It’s a clear penalty,” Flick said after a similar incident earlier this season.
The controversy has brought refereeing standards in La Liga under renewed scrutiny, particularly the use of VAR at crucial moments. With several high-profile managers raising concerns, pressure is mounting on officials to provide more consistency during the crucial run-in.
REAL MADRID POINTS OF VIEW AGAIN
Madrid were looking for a vital victory as Federico Valverde continued his fine scoring run and fired home from distance early in the second half. Since the start of March, his goal tally across competitions has been surpassed by peers such as Raphinha, Deniz Undav and Donyell Malen. However, Girona responded within 10 minutes with Thomas Lemar striking from the edge of the box to equalize against Andriy Lunin.
Despite the setback, Arbeloa insisted that the title fight is not over. “I will only accept that we have lost it the day it actually happens. Until then, we will continue to fight,” he said.
Madrid now turn their attention to the UEFA Champions League, where they are an important quarter-final match against Bayern Munich awaits at the Allianz Arena as they look to keep their European campaign alive.
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Published on:
11 Apr 2026 14:12 IST
