Barcelona Demand Answers in Extraordinary Statement Against Referees and VAR
Barcelona have made an official complaint to the Spanish football authorities after being left furious with the decision-making in their 4-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid. The club were thumped in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Thursday, in a match packed full of controversy.
Controversial Decisions Spark Outrage
Barcelona found themselves 4-0 down by half-time, yet felt they were not helped by the officiating. They argued that Atletico Madrid's Giuliano Simeone should have been sent off for a challenge on Alejandro Balde in the second half. However, VAR proved to be the main irritant for the Catalan giants.
Pau Cubarsi's goal was disallowed after a six-and-a-half minute delay, with semi-automated offside technology failing to cut down the time taken to make a decision. Manager Hansi Flick was left none the wiser as to what had happened, with communication breaking down between officials and the Barcelona bench.
Formal Complaint and Detailed Statement
The club have now submitted a formal complaint to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), while also publishing a lengthy statement on their website. This expresses "deep concern over the repeated refereeing decisions it considers damaging to the game and lacking consistent criteria."
The statement sets out five key areas of concern:
- A lack of consistency in decision-making
- Contradictory handball decisions
- "Accumulation of significant errors"
- The use and transparency of VAR
- The criteria for when the pitchside monitor is used
Specific Criticisms Outlined
Barcelona's statement says: "FC Barcelona denounces the existence of differing decisions in response to actions of an identical nature, particularly with regard to disciplinary sanctions. This disparity creates a perception of double standards incompatible with the principles of fairness, equality and legal certainty that should govern competitions."
The club highlights the inconsistency in the interpretation of handball incidents inside the penalty area, even in matches officiated by the same referees. This lack of uniformity reinforces the perception of arbitrariness and unpredictability in the application of the rules.
"Beyond isolated cases, FC Barcelona points to the repeated occurrence of blatant refereeing errors throughout the season, many of them decisive and to the detriment of the club. This accumulation directly affects the integrity of the competition and generates growing distrust."
Technology and Transparency Concerns
The club expresses reasonable doubts regarding the use and proper application of technology, particularly in millimetre-level decisions that are not accompanied by conclusive technical explanations. It also denounces the lack of transparency in the management and publication of VAR audio recordings.
"FC Barcelona questions the absence of clear and consistent criteria when referees are sent to review incidents on the pitch-side monitor, which contributes to a perception of insecurity and inequality in decision-making."
Call for Action
The statement concludes: "FC Barcelona demands that its requests be examined with the utmost seriousness and that concrete measures be adopted to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future."
This formal complaint represents a significant escalation in Barcelona's ongoing frustrations with Spanish football officiating this season. The club's detailed critique of VAR implementation and refereeing consistency will likely spark broader discussions about transparency and fairness in the sport.
