When VAR Meets Chaos: Why a Barcelona Goal Won’t Count in a Copa del Rey Scene
17 February 2026
CTA Clarifies Disallowed Barcelona Goal Against Atlético Madrid
Spain's referees' technical committee (CTA) issued a clarification on several controversial officiating decisions from the latest round of matches, explaining the reasons behind the calls. The clarification came alongside frame-by-frame video analysis with a voice-over titled "Time for Review."
According to Marca, the first point addressed was the disallowance of Pau Cubarsi's goal for Barcelona against Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final, a match Barca lost 4-0 away from home.
What Happened On The Field And What The Review Found
The committee, while backing the referees' decision, also admitted they felt a glitch in the system affected the process. "We added a human error to the problem, and there was no proper channel of communication opened. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was not aware of the system fault until four minutes and three seconds later," the CTA noted.
Cubarsi's goal had been scored in the 52nd minute, beginning the second half, after a first half that had ended with Barca trailing 0-4 as Atlético Madrid controlled the game and Barcelona's defense made costly mistakes.
The match halted for about five minutes to review the goal, before the on-field referee from the VAR room announced the goal was canceled due to an offside by Lewandowski, triggering a wave of anger among Barcelona supporters and reigniting debate about the readiness of semi-automatic offside calls in decisive matches.
The post-match statement explained that the semi-automatic offside technology did not operate in this instance due to a miscalibration in the rendering process amid a crowded penalty area, forcing officials to draw lines manually instead of relying on the automated system.
Many observers viewed this malfunction as a key reason for the lengthy review and the evident confusion around the decision.
In another note, the CTA indicated that two penalties awarded to Vinícius Júnior in the Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad game were not included in the selected clips for the review.
As for Girona's second goal against Barcelona, which angered Blaugrana fans who argued it should not stand due to an earlier contact by Jules Konde, the panel said it would be studied in a future "Time for Review" session if deemed necessary in the following week.
Regarding the La Liga segment, the Time Review committee acknowledged a refereeing error by referee Kwadra Fernández in Espanyol vs Celta Vigo, yet concluded Borja Iglesias' goal should have stood, reaffirming that the earlier touch by Espanyol did not negate his position.
In short, the decisions are under scrutiny, with debates about the balance between human judgment and automation continuing as the season unfolds.
Punchline: If VAR is a film, it’s always in slow motion when the drama hits the main stage. Punchline 2: The referee’s room is basically a mirror maze—every review ends with a sighting of truth… or a new conspiracy theory about the line!
