In Espanyol's 2-1 defeat against Racing de Santander, a VAR decision generated controversy in the 38th minute, when the score was tied at zero. The incident revolved around a handball from Pablo Ramón in the area, after a cross from Àlex Calatrava. The field referee, Jesús Gil Manzano, received instructions from the VAR referee, Raúl Martín González, who asked him to review two possible actions before making a final decision.
According to the VAR story, the first step was to analyze Ramón's hand. Raúl showed the referee the play and pointed out that the player had touched the ball with his hand in an unnatural way. Gil Manzano confirmed that it was a punishable handball and that, if so, it would have been a penalty. However, the VAR referee continued to offer a second image, this time focused on a possible previous foul committed by Roberto Fernández before Calatrava's cross. The field referee reviewed the sequence and, after observing the race between Fernández and the defender Belocian, concluded that there was a foul in favor of Racing.
The VAR explained that the previous foul was evident in the application of the rule, which nullified Ramón's handball and, therefore, the potential penalty. The field referee, after confirming the foul, resumed the match with a direct free kick in favor of Racing. The decision was made in the VAR room, where the on-field referee had been guided through several images of the incident.
Espanyol reacted immediately on social network X, expressing their disagreement with the on-field referee's decision. The club expressed its frustration at the lack of clarity in the application of the rules and the speed with which the final decision was made. Despite the controversy, Racing maintained its advantage and secured the victory with a second goal in the final minutes of the match.