Real Madrid’s LaLiga title defence suffered a critical blow on Friday night when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Girona at the Santiago Bernabéu, a result that hands Barcelona the chance to extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points with seven matches remaining in the season.
The flashpoint of the evening came in the 87th minute, when Kylian Mbappé was struck in the face by an arm from Girona defender Vitor Reis inside the penalty area. The French forward was visibly bloodied by the contact, yet referee Alberola Rojas waved away Real Madrid‘s appeals and was not directed to the VAR monitor to review the incident.
Head coach Álvaro Arbeloa did not hold back in his post-match press conference, framing the decision as part of a recurring pattern of unfavourable officiating against his side. “For me, it’s a penalty here and on the moon. And… well, it’s just another one. Another one, another week. It is what it is,” he said, per Diario AS.
“I don’t understand it myself, and I don’t think anyone does. When does VAR come in? I imagine it’s when it’s convenient, and when it’s not, well, it doesn’t,” Arbeloa continued. “It’s something that… well, as I said yesterday, you already know my opinion. And these events really confirm it. It’s a clear-cut case, in my opinion.”
The former Spain international also referenced a first-half foul awarded against Mbappé, which he considered less significant than the penalty incident, before alluding to what he described as persistent problems with match officials. “We’ve had so many problems with referees. With this one… last week in Mallorca… well… the same old story,” he added.
The consequences of the Girona draw have extended well beyond the post-match press conference. According to reports, Real Madrid have formally severed all diplomatic ties with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in protest at what the club considers “systemic bias” within the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA).
The decision follows a series of broadcasts on Real Madrid TV in which the club’s official channel reportedly labelled the ongoing LaLiga competition as “rigged” and “adulterated.” Those accusations are connected to the long-running Negreira affair — a case involving payments made by FC Barcelona to a former vice-president of the Spanish refereeing committee — and Real Madrid’s stated belief that referees continue to make decisions that disadvantage them.
The Negreira affair has cast a shadow over Spanish football for several years, with legal proceedings still ongoing and both Barcelona and the federation facing scrutiny over the nature of those financial arrangements. Real Madrid have consistently cited the case as evidence of structural corruption within the officiating infrastructure.
With seven games remaining in the 2025-26 LaLiga season, Real Madrid’s hopes of retaining the title now depend heavily on results elsewhere. A nine-point gap, should Barcelona capitalise on the opportunity presented by Friday’s result, would represent a near-insurmountable deficit at this stage of the campaign. Arbeloa, who took charge of the first team in a managerial role this season, faces mounting pressure as the club’s domestic ambitions appear to be slipping away.
