Officiating ‘can’t continue like this’ decide Barcelona as referees explain VAR comments | OneFootball

If there was a sour point to Barcelona’s celebrations following El Clasico, it was the enormous frustration emanating from the Blaugrana over the officiating. There were four major calls that Barcelona questioned during the match, and the release of the VAR audio did not calm that reaction.

The purpose of releasing the VAR audio is transparency, but the Barcelona perspective has been that it made the calls of the refereeing team even more unclear. ‘Just as well’ was one of the comments heard after they saw a ‘clear handball’ against Fermin Lopez before his disallowed goal, while it transpired that the on-field referee was only shown two angles of Aurelien Tchouameni’s potential handball in the box.

Explanation for VAR comments

As detailed by Sport, the ‘just as well’ comment had little to do with the decision. On Cadena SER, ex-official Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez explained that it was in reference to finding a second angle of the handball by Lopez, one that was more clear. Isaac Fouto echoed this perspective, with the officials in the VOR room relieved at finding a clearer angle.

Image via JOSEP LAGO / AFP

It has been noted that Fede Valverde recovers possession from Lopez before he then wins the ball and scores, which in theory would signify a new play, and mean the handball was not reviewable.

Barcelona intend to take action

That being the case, the same outlet explain that there was ‘monumental anger’ from Barcelona, with directors and executives ‘exploding’ at the decision not to give a penalty against Tchouameni. While there will be no formal complaint, the feeling is at Can Barca that ‘it cannot go on like this’. They intend to take action, and will ask explanations from the governing bodies, believing it to be a necessary step in order to ‘compete in equal conditions’ next season.

Further controversy between Real Madrid and Barcelona

The line from Real Madrid has been more or less the same, penning a letter earlier this season demanding that referees involved during the period that Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira was vice-president of the Referees Committee be sacked. Last season, Barcelona President Joan Laporta released a statement condemning the officiating, which he believed to be clearly biased.