Carlos Romero opens up about his harsh tackle on Mbappé: 'If it's a red card...'

One of the  most talked-about plays in recent times is Carlos Romero's kick to Kylian Mbappé. The studs-up tackle that the Bondy striker received on the calf of his left leg was sanctioned with a yellow card, a decision that all refereeing experts don't approve of. Muñiz Ruiz, meanwhile, would have left a confusing description of the play in the match report at the RCDE Stadium.

The undisputed protagonist of this tackle from behind on the French striker, Carlos Romero, spoke with "El Chiringuito de Jugones" after the match between Espanyol and Real Madrid to justify his action. "In the end, it's a counterattack that I try to stop by any means, I try to trip him. Obviously, my intention is not to go after anyone or try to hurt anyone, that's for the referee to assess", warns the Spanish defender.

Be that as it may, the brutal studs-up tackle that he left on Kylian Mbappé's left calf would have gone without the appropriate punishment for most refereeing analysts in the media. Asked if he thinks it is a direct red card, "I don't get involved, I'm not a referee, I'm never going to say if a card is yellow or red, whether it's mine or anyone else's. The truth is if he considered it yellow, it's yellow", states the left-back of Espanyol.

Carlos Romero confesses that "to every player I tackle, I'm never going to smile, I'm always going to apologize because I believe I would never hurt anyone". He also didn't hesitate to respond to the words of a Carlo Ancelotti really upset with Muñiz Ruiz's decision: he considered it "inexplicable" that the Galician committee referee didn't expel him.

Rekindling the debate

"Carletto is obviously always going to be respected for who he is, for all the legend he is. If he sees it that way, it's his way of thinking, I respect it and that's it", concludes the Catalan team's player about a controversy that still hasn't ended. These words from Carlos Romero don't offer, for many Madridists, a satisfactory explanation regarding the tackle Mbappé received.

The discontent with the handling of this action is notable in Spanish football. Not only have practically all the Real Madrid entities shown their indignation and discontent with this action and the way Muñiz Ruiz decided to caution the left-back. The debate among Spanish referees has also grown considerably since that match in Barcelona ended.

The information published by 'Archivo VAR' released the possible decision to remove Iglesias Villanueva from the next matchday. This referee has become the focus of the refereeing body due to his poor handling of Carlos Romero's action on Kylian Mbappé... in this case from the VOR room located in Las Rozas.

In this context, refereeing experts also point to Muñiz Ruiz. The Galician committee referee was close to the action but decided to sanction Carlos Romero with a yellow card that was insufficient. He also allowed him to continue in the match and decisively influence the outcome of the game, scoring Espanyol's winning goal.