The Racing captain opens fire on Mbappé: anyone who has played football knows it was not a penalty

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Inigo Sainz-Maza hit out at the referee for awarding Kylian Mbappe a penalty during Racing Santander's clash with Real Madrid, a game that ended in a three-nil win for the Spanish giants. The captain insisted the play did not warrant a foul.

"For us, it cannot be considered a penalty under any circumstances," Sainz-Maza said after the match. "We watched the replay several times, and there was very slight contact, and we don't believe it warrants a penalty. And I think everyone who has played football knows it is not a penalty."

He was equally baffled by the technology. "The referee may make a mistake, but we also don't understand why VAR didn't intervene to correct the decision, as happened with the penalty that was awarded to us and then cancelled, and perhaps cancelling it was correct."

Real Madrid were the more dominant side in the first half, and Sainz-Maza admitted as much. But he reckoned his players looked a different proposition after the break, showing more character and courage and growing bolder about demanding the ball and pushing inside the opponent's half.

That improvement, he explained, carried Racing into dangerous positions. Among them was the play his side claimed as a penalty, along with a handful of shots and attacking attempts.

Alvaro Mantilla's injury also weighed on the captain. His teammate limped off in the 29th minute, and Sainz-Maza voiced his hope that it proves nothing more than a passing concern so the team can lean on him throughout the season.