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The Barcelona CEO has suggested that the league is rigged for "powers that be" with VAR the tool of preference for cheating other clubs
Joan Laporta, the President of Barcelona, has raised concerns about what he perceives as unequal treatment of teams in La Liga, particularly favoritism towards Real Madrid. He made these remarks in an interview with Catalan media following a contentious victory for Real Madrid over Almeria, which has fueled his claims.
During the match between Real Madrid and Almeria, there were three instances where VAR ( Video Assistant Referee ) interventions played a pivotal role, all to the advantage of Real Madrid. It has been acknowledged internally by the Referees Committee that two of these interventions were erroneous decisions made by the referee.
Laporta's Perspective on VAR and Refereeing
In an interview with MD, Laporta claimed it was evidence of the situation, stating, “In a very clear way that match at the Bernabeu was re-refereed by VAR and all the decisions that were made were contrary to those that the referee had made. And I believe that the VAR, which is an instrument that comes to help referees, is becoming, due to the misuse of it, a problem. And I say that and I don’t like to play the victim, but it is a commitment that we have to justice and sportsmanship.”
He continued, emphasizing the club's commitment to recognizing the challenges referees face, “It is a commitment that the club has when it comes to recognizing the complicated job that referees have. For me, the role of referee is the most difficult in the world of football after scoring goals, if you ask me. Man, we are seeing that an instrument that was there to help them, the VAR, is not helping them and has been taken hostage, like an abuse victim based on pressure that our rival is exerting continuously and constantly, which is no longer punctual but consistent. These pressures have been taking place for a long time and are bearing fruit. Because the decisions are all favorable to this team.”
When asked if he felt the scales of justice had been swayed in La Liga too, Laporta responded, “Man, with these results yes, because it’s not just this Sunday. We have been analyzing the issue and there are already a series of points that our rival has achieved by benefiting from refereeing decisions. Now, I also have to say we are used to this, right? We have always fought against the elements, we know what they are. But this time they are being too obvious and that is the reason for our formal complaint to the Federation.”
The Impact on LaLiga's Balance
Laporta believes that the use of VAR has become contentious and is negatively impacting the balance in La Liga. He expressed concern that the pressure exerted by Barcelona's rivals, particularly Real Madrid, has influenced the decisions made through VAR, consistently favoring one team over the other. Laporta pointed out that this trend is not limited to a single match but has been ongoing, leading to a formal complaint to the Federation from Barcelona.
Laporta's comments have stirred controversy, and there are reports that some referees are urging the Federation to take formal action against him. The pressure mentioned by Laporta includes Real Madrid TV's practice of producing videos critical of referees before matches with Real Madrid's rivals. However, since Real Madrid TV is operated by a private media company and not officially affiliated with the club, such actions are not subject to sanctions.
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