FC Andorra Unfazed by Controversial Disallowed Goal in Granada Draw

FC Andorra's coaching staff and players remain focused on their positive run despite controversy over a late disallowed goal in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Granada CF.

The match at Los Cármenes hinged on a dramatic final play. With added time ticking down, Andorra's Iñaki Olabarrieta collected a long clearance from Marc Domènech in midfield, outmuscled Granada's Rodelas, and raced clear toward goal. Contact occurred as Olabarrieta extended an arm in a challenge referee Marta Huerta de Aza deemed a foul. Rodelas fell seconds later, after Olabarrieta had advanced, and did not initially protest. Olabarrieta finished past the keeper for what appeared to be a 2-1 win, prompting celebrations from the Andorran side, including goalkeeper Jesús Owono. Huerta de Aza, however, ruled out the goal post-completion, citing the need to allow a clear goal-scoring opportunity to conclude before whistling, similar to offside protocol.

Coach Carles Manso expressed measured disagreement, saying officials informed him Olabarrieta had "grabbed" the opponent, requiring them to wait. "We respect what happened, though we're not entirely in agreement with how that last action unfolded," he noted. Manso described a bittersweet taste after a hard-fought point at a "very tough" venue against a former top-flight side. Club figures including Jaume Nogués and Gerard Piqué questioned the call upon review, noting the referee's earlier leniency shifted abruptly. Some within the club suggested stadium pressure may have played a role.

The draw extended Andorra's unbeaten streak to four matches—three prior wins—leaving them 13th with 39 points after 30 rounds. They hold an eight-point buffer over relegation-marking Huesca, with playoffs nine points away. Manso credited recent successes for building confidence: "We've seen we're not inferior to anyone, despite one of the league's smallest budgets."

Striker Lautaro de León echoed the optimism Monday, highlighting defensive solidity as key. "We're in a sweet moment, but this league demands until the end," he said. The Uruguayan, with five goals this season, dismissed personal scoring concerns, drawing on last year's 12-goal haul in Spain's third tier plus playoffs. "The moment will come for everyone," he added. De León praised recent efficiency: "We score chances we previously created but didn't finish."

Andorra host SD Eibar Saturday at Nou Estadi de la FAF in Encamp (4:15pm). The 10th-placed Basques lead by three points and have lost just twice in 12 outings, both away. De León called them a "direct rival" and "very tough bloc," recalling Andorra's lone defeat in their first seven games, then under Ibai Gómez. Victory would extend the momentum and aid a gradual climb up the table.