Real Madrid News
CTA considers referee decision to not retake Mbappe’s penalty vs Real Betis was right
A lot has been said about Real Madrid’s failure to take three points against Real Betis last night, for it marked the team’s first defeat under Jose Mourinho this season.
Los Verdiblancos took the lead late on the night, forcing Real Madrid into a position where they had to score twice in ten minutes to take home a win. Vinicius Jr. won a penalty in extra-time, and that handed the visitors their best chance of levelling the scores.
Mbappe’s effort, however, was saved by Alvaro Valles cleanly but there was significant controversy over the position of Real Betis player Marc Bartra who seemingly entered the box before Mbappe struck the ball.
A lot has been made about whether the decision not to retake the spot-kick was right or not, but Mundo Deportivo now bring to light that the CTA believes that the verdict was correct.
🚨 INFORMA @partidazocope
— El Partidazo de COPE (@partidazocope) September 4, 2026
❌ El penalti de Mbappé no se debió repetir, según el CTA
🤔 "Bartra tiene un pie fuera del área, y no los dos en el aire"
📻 #PartidazoCOPE pic.twitter.com/X4w03babAB
What do the rules say?
As reported by the Spanish outlet, the IFAB and the CARD rules are the two important rulebooks that influence referees’ decisions.
According to the IFAB rules, a penalty must be retaken for encroachment if the defending team’s player directly affects the penalty taker through his encroachment, plays the ball or challenges an opponent.
Further, it then states that if a player is in the air, as Bartra was, the position must be determined by the projected position of their feet if they were touching the ground. That, however, only applies when the player’s entire body is in the air.
The CTA’s CARD manual, meanwhile, has similar regulations and stipulates that a penalty must be retaken for an encroaching defender only if it directly affects the taker or makes an effort for the ball or challenges an attacking team player.
What is the verdict?
Considering the rules in both manuals, Mbappe’s penalty would only have to be retaken if Bartra’s encroachment directly affected Mbappe’s penalty, his effort to go for the rebound or made any challenge on a Real Madrid player.
The Real Betis star, however, did none of that and did not even contact the ball immediately after the penalty.
His position may be controversial, but he did not affect Real Madrid’s chances at a rebound in any capacity.
In that sense, the decision not to retake the penalty was the right one, and the CTA consider that the officials were right with their verdict.
Bernardo Silva was one of Real Madrid’s headline signings last summer. The Portuguese midfielder arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City and appeared destined to become the creative successor to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the middle of the park.
Indeed, with the club having not signed a new central midfielder, many within Real Madrid saw the veteran star as a solution to the issue.
Manager Jose Mourinho made him a starter from the very beginning in pre-season, but not in his usual role on the right. Instead, he deployed his compatriot as a deep-lying playmaker in the midfield double pivot.
A change in circumstances
Silva failed to have the expected influence when operating in a deeper role in midfield in the chances he got.
Combined with the emergence of Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return to fitness, the Portuguese international has now lost his place in the starting line-up and dropped to the bench.
Bernardo’s situation became particularly striking against Villarreal this past Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu, when he did not play a single minute.
Limited opportunities under Mourinho
Bernardo has played six matches for Real Madrid, starting three and coming on as a substitute in another three.
He did not feature against Villarreal or Elche, while his only appearance in the last three matches was a little over 10 minutes against Atletico Madrid. He was not used regularly by the Portugal national team during the international break either.
Across Real Madrid’s eight La Liga fixtures, Silva has accumulated just 282 minutes of playing time.
The Champions League now presents another opportunity for the former Manchester City captain, who has yet to make his European debut for Real Madrid this season.
He missed the match against Inter Milan because he was still serving a suspension carried over from his time at the Etihad Stadium last season.
It remains to be seen whether Mourinho will give him an opportunity against AS Roma in the coming week.
For now, the midfielder’s reduced playing time suggests that the Portuguese coach has lost some of his faith in a player who arrived with high expectations after leaving Manchester City.
