[Barcelona’s Clasico win over Real Madrid](https://www.barcablaugranes.com/2025/5/11/24426146/barcelona-real-madrid-la-liga-el-clasico-final-score-match-report-recap-reactions) featured plenty of goals and lots of controversy once again in La Liga.
The Catalans were denied a penalty when [Ferran Torres saw a shot blocked by Aurélien Tchouaméni’s arm in the penalty area](https://www.barcablaugranes.com/2025/5/11/24428120/ferran-torres-left-baffled-by-decision-not-to-award-barcelona-penalty-for-handball-in-el-clasico).
Ferran was baffled by the decision, as were many others, particularly after referee Hernandez Hernandez was sent to the screen to check.
The audio of the VAR has now been released and the reason for the decision revealed:
“There you have the images, it’s a shot on goal. You don’t have many more cameras,” referee Hernandez Hernandez is told by the VAR.
The match official reviews the action and then says: “Courtois is behind, the impact occurs with the arm down, for me it is not a penalty”.
Barcelona were also denied a fifth goal late on after substitute Fermin Lopez smashed home a great strike. However, it was chalked off for a handball in the build-up.
And the officials appeared to be relieved to have found a reason to rule it out. Here’s how the conversation went, according to Mundo Deportivo.
**“Martínez Munuera**: ‘Listen to me. We just detected a hand, okay? Come see it, please.’
**“An unknown voice:** ‘With the height, thank goodness. Yes, yes, absolutely.’
**“Hernández Hernández**: ‘Okay, perfect. Go ahead, it hits his hand, yes. The ball is going to go out and now give me a wide one so I can see the whole action, see how it ends. Okay, perfect, the hand is clearly up. I’m going to cancel the goal.’”
It’s the “thank goodness” part of the conversation that will spark the most controversy and certainly won’t sit well with Barcelona fans.