September 10: Madroga Falls in the Penalty Area, Review Panel Rules No Foul — Why Does the Decision Remain Controversial?

In the 3rd minute of the match, Madroga fell inside the penalty area, then raised his hand and looked back at referee Ma Ning. There was no whistle, no VAR intervention, and Shanghai Port had already taken the goal kick.

The incident sparked divided opinions after the match. Some fans said he was kicked, while others said he tripped himself. On September 9, the Chinese Football Association referee review panel gave its conclusion: both sides' actions were reasonable and did not constitute a foul; the referee was correct not to award a foul, and VAR was correct not to intervene.

The review panel's exact words were: "Shandong Taishan No. 8 used his right foot to cut inside and change direction, his arm made contact with the opponent's body, and the landing point of his left supporting foot became entangled with the opponent's two feet, causing both players to fall."

Translated simply: Madroga got tangled with the opponent's feet and fell himself.

But to understand why a single falling moment could trigger such a major controversy, we need to look back first.

On January 26, 2025, Madroga joined Shandong Taishan. As of May 29, 2026, he had made 43 appearances for the club, scoring 6 goals and providing 1 assist.

The numbers alone are not poor. But he is a defensive midfielder, not an attacking midfielder or a winger.

His core job is not scoring goals, but running. In the 26th round of the Chinese Super League, he covered 11,649 meters in a single match, ranking third among all CSL players in running distance. Domestic sports media evaluations of him were quite consistent: "He makes up for his lack of ability with running."

In other words, he is not the kind of player who receives the ball and immediately knows where to pass. He is the kind of player who runs wherever the ball is.

Players like this are often criticized. Their work is visible to the eye, but the effect is difficult to quantify. Running data can show effort, but it cannot show who they successfully defended against.

A NetEase News article wrote directly: "Although Madroga is the type of player who does the dirty and tiring work for Shandong Taishan, he always likes to push forward. Indeed, some of Madroga's goals have been beautiful, but he falls short in the core duties of a defensive midfielder."

In July 2026, Taishan head coach Su Maozhen publicly stated that the club would not replace Madroga during the summer transfer window: "Madroga plays a major role in the team's defensive system. We have decided to keep him, and the coaching staff will trust him 100 percent."

However, at that time Madroga had only six months left on his contract. Another report pointed out that the club retained him because "throughout the summer window, Taishan failed to find a suitable replacement defensive midfielder. Restrictions involving foreign-player quotas, salary structure, and the transfer window period made it difficult for the club to quickly upgrade the position."

Therefore, Madroga stayed at Taishan not because "he is the best," but because "he is the only available option."

On March 16, 2026, in the second round of the CSL, Shandong Taishan faced Beijing Guoan. In the 33rd minute of the first half, a Beijing Guoan player headed the ball, which struck Madroga's arm. Referee Mai Maitijiang did not award a foul, and VAR did not intervene. Beijing Television commentator Wei Yidong publicly stated that it should have been a penalty.

Two days later, the Chinese Football Association referee review panel officially determined that it was a missed call — Madroga's raised arm unnaturally expanded his defensive area, VAR's failure to intervene was also incorrect, and the referee and VAR officials were internally punished as a result.

That time, Madroga was the "beneficiary."

On September 1, in the FA Cup match against Shanghai Port, he went down and appealed for a penalty, but the review panel determined that it "did not constitute a foul." This time, he was the "appealing party."

The two decisions were unrelated under the rules, but when viewed together, a clear logic emerges: the review panel does not determine fouls based on "who fell," but based on whether "the action itself was reasonable."

In March, Madroga's handball was judged to have "unnaturally expanded" his defensive area, so it had to be called under the rules. In September, Shanghai Port's No. 10's defensive action was judged "reasonable," so it could not be called.

The review panel did not change the decision because of a "compensation mentality," nor did it establish a preset stance because of "previous controversies." Each decision followed the rules independently, which is exactly the kind of outcome that should appear in the VAR era.

Madroga's problem is actually not only his own problem.

In that FA Cup match, Taishan lost 0-3. Liu Zhurun scored in the 18th minute, Ampem added another in the 22nd minute, and Yang Xi sealed the win in the 79th minute. Shanghai Port repeatedly broke through Taishan's defense from both half-space areas. Madroga started and played until the end, but the midfield loss of control had begun from the first minute.

After the match, the title of a Tencent News analysis was: "Madroga's effort alone is not enough; if Taishan want to return to the title race, they need a midfield core."

The article stated clearly: "For the defensive midfielder of a strong team, domestic players need to lead the play. His biggest advantage is his effort."

This is Madroga's dilemma, and also Taishan's dilemma. A defensive midfielder who relies on running coverage but lacks ability on the ball means the team needs another midfielder to handle organization. When that "other player" is out of form, or when Shanghai Port uses the midfield pressure of Melendo and Vital to cut off connections, all Madroga can do is run.

He ran 11,649 meters, ranking third in the league. But the team lost by three goals.

This also explains why Taishan chose to retain him during the summer window but has delayed contract renewal talks. The management needs him to finish the season, but does not want to offer a long-term contract. Because this kind of "pure workhorse defensive midfielder" has a ceiling that is difficult to support a team aiming for a higher ranking.

After being eliminated from the FA Cup, Taishan lost qualification for next season's AFC Champions League. In this match, Madroga created a corner with a header at the 55th minute and later saw his long-range shot from outside the box go wide. He did everything he could, but those efforts were not enough.