The fallout from Sunday’s El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu continues, with heated debate surrounding referee Cesar Soto Grado’s decisions during Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Barcelona.
While many within the Barcelona community have voiced strong dissatisfaction with several key moments of officiating, the Technical Refereeing Committee (CTA) has come forward in full support of its referees, insisting that all major decisions were correct.
CTA president Fran Soto personally backed the refereeing team, stating that despite the pressure and controversy surrounding such a high-voltage fixture, the officials handled the match well.
“We believe that in the end, the decisions were correct. In general, we thought the refereeing was right,” said Soto as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
CTA confident in refereeing accuracy
The El Clasico was packed with contentious moments that tested both the officials and the technology assisting them.
The refereeing team, which included assistants Carlos Alvarez and David Becerril, fourth official Guillermo Conejero, and VAR officials Javier Iglesias Villanueva and Mario Melero Lopez, was praised by the CTA for its collective performance.
According to the committee’s post-match review, the key plays were correctly called – including the build-up to Real Madrid’s second goal, when Barcelona argued that Dean Huijsen had fouled Pau Cubarsi during an aerial challenge.
CTA president was satisfied with the decisions. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
After careful analysis, the CTA maintained that Soto Grado’s decision to let play continue was justified.
Another controversial decision occurred late in the match when Barcelona appealed for a penalty after Ronald Araujo went down following contact from Dani Carvajal.
Despite strong protests, the referee chose not to award a penalty – a call VAR also decided not to overturn, viewing it as a borderline but acceptable on-field decision.
Fran Soto stands by the referees
Speaking after reviewing the match, Fran Soto described the refereeing as “good and accurate.”
He acknowledged that while the Technical Commission would continue to analyse the finer details, he was satisfied with the officials’ handling of the game.
“There are reasons to be satisfied with the refereeing,” he reiterated, emphasising that decisions were made “in line with the laws of the game.”
Despite the backlash from Barcelona fans, the CTA’s stance is that the El Clasico was officiated fairly.