Overview
- João Cancelo caught Yan Diomande on the lower leg with his studs during the El Clásico, a challenge that occurred on Sunday, October 25 and forced Diomande off briefly for treatment.
- Match referee Juan Martínez Munuera did not call a foul or issue a card and the VAR did not recommend a review, so play continued and Barcelona soon scored.
- Prominent voices split over the decision: José Mourinho and pundit Guti called it a straight red and criticised VAR, while refereeing analysts Iturralde González and Archivo VAR said the challenge merited at most a yellow.
- IFAB's VAR protocol limits reviews to clear and obvious errors and to potential direct red-card incidents, a boundary that explains why the video room may not have felt it could intervene on what some see as a borderline tackle.
- As of October 26 there has been no reported retrospective punishment for Cancelo, and the episode has added pressure on LaLiga and refereeing bodies over consistency and transparency after several high-profile officiating disputes this month.