Real Madrid's controversial penalty decision in their 1-0 defeat to Real Betis has drawn fresh criticism from refereeing experts. The incident occurred in stoppage time when Kylian Mbappe struck his penalty, only for defender Marc Bartra to encroach into the area and later block his follow-up attempt. While referee Alejandro Hernandez ruled the spot-kick complete, former Portuguese referee Bruno Paixao argues the penalty should have been retaken.
The Penalty Area Encroachment Debate
Bartra's positioning at the moment of Mbappe's strike has become the focal point of the dispute. The IFAB law governing penalties hinges on whether a player's feet—or any body part touching the ground—occupy the penalty area when the ball is kicked. Bartra's foot remained suspended in mid-air, technically placing him outside the area under the current interpretation. However, Paixao rejected this technicality with forceful clarity.
"The Real Betis defender was inside the penalty area at the moment the penalty was taken, and he later participated in the play by putting the ball out for a corner kick," Paixao told Kooora. His frustration crystallized in a pointed comparison: "The player was inside the penalty area. This is football, not basketball!" He explained that basketball allows players to touch the ball outside the court provided they remain airborne—a principle he argued should not transfer to football's stricter spatial regulations.
VAR's Role and the Broader Incident
Paixao emphasized that VAR should have intervened to alert the referee for a video review. Under modern protocols, marginal calls involving penalty retakes merit scrutiny from the video assistant referee, yet no such review occurred. The decision left Real Madrid without a point in a frustrating Friday night at the Benito Villamarín.
Beyond the penalty row, Paixao also addressed a separate controversy involving Los Blancos midfielder Arda Guler. After receiving a yellow card in the first half, Guler committed a second-half foul that drew no booking—a decision that angered Betis captain Isco. Paixao confirmed the referee had discretion in that instance and made no error, contrasting it with the more clear-cut penalty encroachment issue.
Real Madrid's season now faces scrutiny following their first defeat, with questions lingering over whether stricter VAR protocol could reshape the final outcome of La Liga's pivotal matches.
