Referee collision strips Real Madrid of Merengue lead at City

A collision between referee Silvia Gasperotti and Manchester City defender Maed forced officials to disallow Real Madrid's 2‑1 goal in the women's Champions League match at the Joie Stadium, as shown in an Olé video.

Pau Quesada reacts

"This is the first time I've seen this in my fucking life. This is not Champions, it's something else," said Pau Quesada, coach of the Real Madrid women’s side, after the decision erased the 2‑1 advantage at the Joie Stadium, owned by the Citizens.

During a Real Madrid attack, Gasperotti stepped back to avoid interfering while Silvia Cristóbal prepared to shoot. In that brief movement she crossed paths with Maed, a local player, and immediately blew her whistle, halting the play before Cristóbal could strike.

Regulation and referee decision

Officials explained that the interruption complies with the regulations, which require the game to be stopped if a referee unintentionally prevents a rival player from taking part in the action.

Critics argue the referee should have waited for the play to finish before consulting VAR, but once the whistle sounded before the shot, the assistant referees were no longer permitted to intervene.

Real Madrid lodged numerous complaints, and the affected players’ frustration is described as fully justified, with the article warning against imagining a similar scenario in a Boca‑River final.

The disallowed goal had been scored by Colombian forward Linda Caicedo, widely regarded as one of the world’s best players.