The RFEF Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) confessed that Barcelona’s second goal against Mallorca in their 2025–26 La Liga opener should have been disallowed.
Barcelona’s 3–0 victory to kick off their Spanish title defense was shrouded in controversy. Not only were two of Jagoba Arrasate’s men sent off before halftime, but Ferran Torres’ 23rd-minute goal came while Mallorca defender Antonio Raíllo was down with a head injury.
The center back blocked a shot from Lamine Yamal with his head and immediately went to ground, unmoving inside his own penalty box. Referee Munuera Montero allowed play to continue, ultimately resulting in Barcelona’s second goal of the night.
The controversial decision has now been condemned by the CTA in “Review Time”, a new series that conducts reviews of potential refereeing errors in La Liga, La Liga 2 and Liga F.
Marta Frías, a spokesperson for the CTA, spoke on Torres’ goal in the first installment of the show: “This case can help us understand the concussion protocol. When there is a blow to the head, the player comes first.
“As you can see, a Mallorca defender is hit in the head by the ball and is left lying in his area. Seconds later, a Barcelona attacker scores a goal. What does the protocol say? That in the event of any suspicion of concussion, the referee must stop the game immediately so that the player can be treated.
“The referee allowed play to continue, but the blow to the player meant that play should have been stopped at that moment. Only if the shot on goal came immediately after the impact would the goal be valid.
“Therefore, the correct decision was to stop play. The incident reminds us that the safety of the player comes first and everything else second.”
The refereeing mistake was just one of several controversial decisions through the first three La Liga matchdays of the season. The CTA also reviewed six additional plays, weighing in on high profile moments in Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid fixtures as well.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Must Stop’—La Liga Referees Committee Admits Major Barcelona Mistake .