Barcelona winger’s goal against Las Palmas was wrongfully disallowed, confirms referees committee

Barcelona have not enjoyed the best of seasons from an officiating point of view in the 2023-24 campaign.

Time and time again, decisions have gone against the Catalans, some with a direct bearing on the result and points table.

One such incident, which albeit did not play a role in the final result, was Raphinha’s disallowed goal against Las Palmas last month.

The disallowed goal

The move stemmed from a lovely dummy from Robert Lewandowski that played the ball through to Fermin Lopez. The youngster, with his first touch, released the Pole in front of goal.

In the battle that ensued between Lewy and Saul Coco, the ball fell kindly for Raphinha who was positionally offside.

The Brazilian scored, and the goal was ruled out for offside, but the referee’s decision was heavily contested as many felt his offside should be annulled given that the ball came off a Las Palmas player’s foot.

Verified as a wrong decision

As revealed by Mundo Deportivo in a recent report, the reason VAR annulled the goal on the night was a rule that was reformed recently after the Nations League final between Spain and France.

Raphinha had a goal ruled out against Las Palmas. (Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images)

A contentious play between Kylian Mbappe and Eric Garcia on the night led to the conclusion that if a defender has control of the ball before a misplaced clearance, any positional offside of an opposition player who receives the ball will be annulled.

If the defender has no control over the ball and is forced into a clearance by an undesired touch, however, there will be no implication on the opposition’s offside positions.

Returning to the game against Las Palmas, VAR official Prieto Iglesias hastily decided that Coco was forced into a clearance on the night, thus deeming Raphinha offside.

A review from CTA (Technical Committee of Referees), however, reveals that the goal should have stood in what arrives as a breaking update.

A careful review of the play shows that Lewandowski and Coco were fighting equally to win possession of the ball at the time.

Unlike the scenario in the Nations League where Garcia touched a pass intended for the opposition, Coco deliberately pushed the ball into Raphinha’s path with control. Even if he did not have control, it was only owing to an equal tussle with Lewandowski which was not illegal in any way.

Raphinha’s offside position, thus, should have been overlooked and the goal should have stood.

Nevertheless, Barcelona won the game, eventually owing to a Raphinha strike at the hour mark.