Barcelona defender Joao Cancelo escaped punishment after a controversial challenge on Real Madrid’s Yan Diomande during El Clasico. Despite Madrid’s 2-1 victory, Jose Mourinho strongly criticised VAR for failing to intervene.
Controversial El Clasico Incident Sparks Outrage as Barcelona Star Escapes Punishment
A major refereeing controversy has emerged after Barcelona defender Joao Cancelo escaped a card for a dangerous-looking challenge on Real Madrid star Yan Diomande during El Clasico.
The incident happened during the second half of Real Madrid’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Barcelona at Camp Nou on October 25.
Despite Cancelo catching Diomande’s leg with his studs, referee Juan Martinez Munuera did not show a yellow or red card.
The decision left Real Madrid furious, with Jose Mourinho accusing VAR of failing to act during a crucial moment.
Cancelo escapes punishment after controversial challenge
The incident happened around the 57th minute, when Cancelo attempted to challenge Diomande from behind.
The Barcelona defender caught the Real Madrid winger on the calf with his studs.
Diomande continued running briefly before falling to the ground in pain.
He required medical attention but was eventually able to continue playing.
However, the referee did not show Cancelo a card, and VAR did not recommend an on-field review.
The decision immediately caused debate, with some supporters believing Barcelona should have been reduced to ten players.
Mourinho furious as VAR fails to intervene
Despite Real Madrid winning the match 2-1 thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s two goals, Mourinho was unhappy with the refereeing decision.
Speaking after the match, the Portuguese manager insisted that Cancelo should have received a straight red card.
Mourinho accused VAR of being asleep during the incident and claimed the decision could have changed the match.
However, he also praised the referee’s overall performance and celebrated his team’s important victory.
Refereeing experts disagree with Mourinho
Interestingly, not everyone agreed with Mourinho’s demand for a red card.
Former Spanish referee Iturralde Gonzalez, who works as an analyst for AS and Cadena SER, believed Cancelo deserved a yellow card rather than a red.
According to Iturralde, the challenge involved contact with Diomande’s leg but did not contain enough force to justify a sending-off.
Refereeing analysis website Archivo VAR also agreed that Cancelo should have received a yellow card, not a straight red.
Because VAR generally cannot intervene for a missed yellow card, the lack of a video review was considered understandable by these experts.
El Clasico victory overshadowed by VAR controversy
Real Madrid eventually secured a dramatic 2-1 victory, ending Barcelona’s perfect start to the La Liga season.
Mbappe scored both goals for Madrid, including the winner in the 87th minute.
However, Cancelo’s controversial challenge has remained a major talking point after the final whistle.
While Mourinho believes Barcelona should have played with ten men, refereeing experts argue that a yellow card would have been the correct punishment.
The disagreement has once again raised questions about refereeing decisions and the limits of VAR in one of football’s biggest rivalries.
