Admission of error comes after Barcelona requested an official explanation from the CTA and the RFEF
Spanish football’s committee of referees (CTA) have declared that Girona’s goal against Barcelona in their league game should not have stood.
Barcelona lost 2-1 to Girona on 16 February after Pau Cubarsi’s second-half equaliser was undone when Fran Beltran scored in the 86th minute. The goal condemned Barcelona to a successive defeat, having also lost to Atletico Madrid days earlier, and saw them (temporarily) concede the top spot in La Liga to Real Madrid.
However, there was debate about whether Beltran’s goal should have stood when replays showed that Girona’s Claudio Echeverri had stepped on Jule Kounde’s foot and brought the defender down in the buildup. VAR checked the goal and gave it the go-ahead.
The admission of error has come after Barcelona officially contacted the CTA and the Spanish football federation (RFEF) requesting explanation of the decision.
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— RFEF (@rfef) February 24, 2026
The CTA said in a statement: “In an individual duel outside the penalty area, a Girona forward steps on a Barcelona defender’s foot with his studs just before laying the ball off to a teammate.
“The VAR reviewed the entire attacking phase and, considering it an incident open to the referee’s interpretation, upheld the on-pitch decision and validated the goal.
“Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct clarifies that a reckless stamp constitutes a foul and a caution. Contesting the ball does not exempt a player from committing an offence.
“If a player steps on an opponent using excessive force, it must be sanctioned. According to the CTA of the RFEF, the Girona forward removes the defender from the defensive action, and the infringement should therefore be punished with a foul and a yellow card.
“VAR should intervene, as this involves a clear and obvious error, and advise the referee to change the decision.”
