Spanish Referees Admit Elche's Roi Rebibo Was Denied Clear Penalty

Spain's refereeing committee has acknowledged that Israeli defender Roi Rebibo was wrongly denied a penalty during Elche's recent 0-0 draw against Villarreal. The committee determined that Rebibo should have been awarded a penalty and that Villarreal player Alberto Moleiro should have received a yellow card for pulling Rebibo's shirt inside the box.

The incident occurred when Moleiro tugged Rebibo's jersey. Initially, referee Victor Garcia pointed to the penalty spot, but after VAR intervention, he reviewed the play and overturned his decision. The technical committee, which analyzes controversial calls, concluded that the original penalty call was correct and the VAR's intervention was a mistake.

This finding was revealed on the program "Time for Review," which examines contentious moments from the latest round of matches. The committee's assessment clearly indicated that Elche deserved a penalty and Moleiro should have been cautioned.

Spanish media had already criticized the decision, with "AS" newspaper stating that VAR "saved Villarreal" due to the obvious shirt pull. Elche's coach, Martín Anselmi, also expressed frustration, saying he was "sure it was a penalty."

Although Elche ultimately settled for a draw, the committee's ruling provides official validation that a crucial decision went against them, denying Rebibo's team a potential scoring opportunity.