VAR official hit with harsh punishment after Girona vs Barcelona drama — and more

Barcelona may finally feel a sense of justice after the refereeing authorities took action following the controversial incident in the clash against Girona. 

Reports from AS now confirm that VAR official David Galvez Rascon has received the harshest punishment among referees this round and will be suspended for an indefinite period.

The decision comes after a key moment in the match that heavily influenced the outcome. 

During the attacking sequence that led to Girona’s 2-1 goal, there was a clear collision between Claudio Echeverri and Jules Kounde. 

The French defender went down, but play continued, and the goal was allowed to stand. 

Barcelona players and coaching staff immediately protested, believing the foul should have been called.

CTA admits mistake

After reviewing the incident, the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) concluded that the intervention on Kounde was reckless and should have resulted in a foul. 

More importantly, the VAR room should have stepped in to alert the on-field referee and recommend a review.

As a result, the CTA decided to remove Galvez Rascon from officiating duties for the weekend. 

The refereeing body went further, imposing what is known internally as a “freeze,” meaning suspension until further notice. 

The committee’s technical review reached a clear conclusion regarding the incident. 

According to their assessment, Echeverri’s action on Kounde was illegal and should have been penalised before the attacking move continued. 

This meant that the entire sequence leading to Girona’s second goal should not have counted.

Meanwhile, Barcelona figures did not hold back after the match. Several players voiced their frustration, and both Hansi Flick and club president Joan Laporta openly criticised the decision. 

They argued that the foul on Kounde was obvious and that the VAR team should have intervened to correct the mistake.

Brentford are now interested in signing Roland Sallai after Liverpool made 'serious' attempts in January

As mentioned, the end of the January transfer window was a bit of a blur for Liverpool.

The Reds scoured the market for potential right-back but in the end, nothing came to fruition.

However, a move for Galatasaray's Roland Sallai was actually explored with the Hungarian seemingly Richard Hughes' second choice.

But, since the move didn't get past the enquiry stage, it's clear that there's still some work to be done.

However, a new report has emerged from Turkish outlet A Spor which has outlined how interested the Reds actually were in the 28-year-old.

"At this point, one of the most sought-after players at Galatasaray is Roland Sallai. During the January transfer window, many clubs showed interest in the Hungarian footballer, but the decision was made for Sallai to remain with the team," they wrote.

"Liverpool and Sunderland, in particular, had made serious attempts to sign the 28-year-old player, but were unsuccessful.

"Besides Liverpool and Sunderland, Roland Sallai has attracted another suitor. According to information, Brentford, a Premier League team, has reportedly entered the race for the star player.

"It has been reported that the English team will make an offer to Galatasaray at the end of the season and will try every means to add Sallai to their squad."

Although Sallai may be a tad older than Liverpool's recent transfer targets, that doesn't mean that he wouldn't be an impressive signing for the club.

He can play as a right-back as well as both wings which would make him one of the club's most versatile players.

The Hungarian also has plenty of Champions League experience which is something that Liverpool could be lacking in over the next couple of years, especially if Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah end up leaving in 2028.

The fact that his current manager has also claimed that he's close to being a "world star" proves how good he actually is with his seven goal contributions form right-back further backing this up.

His current market value is around £8.5 million which, judging from his recent performances and statistics, would be an absolute steal.

New images from the Estadio da Luz have begun to reveal more details about the tense moment that overshadowed Real Madrid’s Champions League clash against Benfica. 

What should have been remembered for Vinicius Jr.’s decisive goal instead turned into a serious controversy after the Brazilian reported a racist insult during the second half.

According to the sequence of events, Vinicius immediately approached referee Francois Letexier to inform him about the alleged incident involving Benfica youngster Gianluca Prestianni. 

The official reacted quickly, activating the anti-racism protocol and halting the match for several minutes as the situation was assessed.

During this tense period, several Real Madrid players surrounded the referee and the Benfica players, but one of the most vocal figures was Kylian Mbappe. 

The French forward did not hesitate to defend his teammate and directly confronted Prestianni. 

Images broadcast showed Mbappe repeatedly addressing the Argentine youngster, shouting, “You’re a f**king racist!”

Addressing the event

After the match, Mbappe spoke at length, making it clear that the issue went far beyond the result on the pitch. 

He began by highlighting the responsibility that top players carry when it comes to fighting racism in football. 

“We, the stars of world football, are trying to change all this because we know we have a big voice. We have to set an example for everyone and all the children who look up to us. 

“This is the Champions League, and these are things we cannot accept. In the end, we have to say that we shouldn’t generalise. 

“That’s sometimes a problem. I’ll say it, I’ve always come to Portugal, and I have friends and teammates here. They’ve always treated me very well,” he said, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.

There needs to be an action

He then explained why silence is not an option in such situations, stressing that action must be taken when unacceptable behaviour occurs. 

“When someone behaves like this, we have to say something. Then people booed us. My opinion is that they don’t know what happened. 

“I have nothing against the fans, against Benfica, or their coach, one of the best in the world, with a great history. But something has to be done. 

We can’t accept that a player who plays in the best football competition in Europe behaves like that. 

Vinicius Jr. allegedly suffered a racist incident against Benfica. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“He doesn’t deserve to play in the Champions League. That’s my opinion, but let’s see what happens. 

“I’m not the one who makes the decisions. Let’s see, let’s leave it to UEFA, who always try to do something. Now there’s a serious case and action has to be taken,” he noted.

Leaving the field

Finally, the French forward revealed that Real Madrid even considered leaving the pitch in solidarity with Vinicius. 

The decision, he explained, was entirely up to the Brazilian winger. He concluded, 

“Yes, we did think about leaving the field. That’s why we left; it was the team’s decision.

“Then I saw that other players came back. We won the game, but today it’s not important; there are more important things than football. 

“I asked Vinicius what he wanted to do. Whatever you want to do, we’ll do. We’ll never leave him alone,” he concluded.