Getty Images Sport | Abdelmawgood Samir
Apr 13, 2026 04:35+06:00 | Translated by GOAL.com
Real Madrid has intensified its appeal, formally requesting access to the VAR audio recordings of Mbappé’s penalty incident.
Real Madrid | LaLiga | Spain
Real Madrid are fuming after a clear penalty for Kylian Mbappé was overlooked during Saturday’s La Liga clash with Girona. The club is deeply critical of referee Javier Albarruela Rojas’s performance, claiming he missed a clear spot-kick after the French forward was struck in the face inside the box.
According to Defensa Central, sources close to the club state that Real Madrid’s hierarchy regards the incident as “one of the clearest penalties of the season.” The club is preparing a formal request for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) audio logs—overseen by referee Trujillo Suárez—to understand how the incident was reviewed in the control room.
A Repeating Pattern
This is not the first time the club has taken such a step. Real Madrid submitted a similar request in February last year following Carlos Romero’s infamous tackle on Mbappé against Espanyol—an incident that sparked widespread controversy and prompted an official complaint to the Referees’ Technical Committee.
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The footage of Mbappé being struck spread rapidly across media and social platforms, with many observers calling the referee’s decision surprising, especially as Mbappé finished the match with a bloodied face. The official broadcast’s failure to show a replay also drew sharp criticism from the club, which labeled the omission “unworthy of a competition that is supposed to be one of the most professional in the world.”
The Management's Stance
Sources close to president Florentino Pérez confirm that this latest incident has deepened Real Madrid’s conviction that Spanish refereeing is mismanaged. The Madrid press has described this as a “pattern of mistakes against Real Madrid,” and the club’s leadership now questions the integrity of the competition overseen by La Liga president Javier Tebas—especially at this crucial stage of the season.
Self-Criticism Within the Club
Despite their frustration with officiating, Real Madrid officials acknowledge that the crisis runs deeper. The team’s domestic campaign is struggling, sitting nine points behind Barcelona with only seven matches left, making the league title virtually out of reach. As a result, the club is conducting a technical and mental review of the squad while channeling its remaining focus into the Champions League—now seen as the last chance to salvage the season.
Growing Public Anger
Madrid fans have voiced strong dissatisfaction with the team’s poor results, sensing a familiar cycle of relying on European success to mask domestic failures. The fact that Real Madrid has not won La Liga in consecutive campaigns since 2008 worries supporters, who are now demanding radical changes at the end of the current season.
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AFP
Real Madrid Escalates Appeal, Formally Demands VAR Audio of Mbappé's Penalty
