AS: Cancelo's challenge on Yan Diomande during El Clásico sparks VAR controversy

During the Spanish Clásico against Barcelona, a challenge involving Real Madrid's Joao Cancelo and Barcelona's Yan Diomande sparked controversy. The Portuguese full-back's studs struck Diomande's calf, but VAR did not intervene to review the incident.

Spanish newspaper AS reported that the incident occurred in the 57th minute. Cancelo's studs caught Diomande's leg during the tackle, underlining the force of the contact between the two players.

Defensa Central reported that Diomande briefly left the field for treatment after the incident before returning to play, and that VAR did not review the situation.

The challenge reignited controversy over the referee’s decisions in the Clásico, with particular focus on VAR’s failure to review the contact. The match between Barcelona and Real Madrid was fiercely contested, with tensions running high throughout.

The Archivo VAR website analysed the incident, noting that Cancelo caught his opponent's leg with his heel without using excessive force, but caused an abrasion on the back of the leg. The website stressed that referee Martínez Munuera's decision not to show a yellow card was a serious error of judgment.