Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu calls for big VAR improvements after Real Madrid title win

Bartomeu believes changes still need to be made.
AFP via Getty Images
Ben Hayward27 July 2020

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says VAR is not up to LaLiga standard after decisions he believes helped Real Madrid claim the title.

Bartomeu complained in the run-in that the technology 'always favours the same team' as Los Blancos went on a run of 10 straight victories to win LaLiga.

Those included a number of penalties and some other calls which were perceived to be controversial.

"Even though we didn't win LaLiga, which would have been spectacular because it would have been nine out of 12 after eight out of 11 which was already a record, we have to look forward," Bartomeu told Mundo Deportivo.

"There was a rival, Madrid, who beat us, but it's also true that the management of VAR was not the most adequate in this final stretch of LaLiga and the best league in the world deserves a VAR at its level."

Asked if Barca had lost LaLiga because of VAR, he replied: "I don't want to say that.

"The referees have been self-critical. It's good that they admit [mistakes]. Of course there will be errors, but VAR isn't up to the standard of LaLiga.

"[The problem] is the way it's managed. VAR is a very powerful tool and in the same or similar situations, there have been different decisions in different games. Refereeing has improved, but there is some way to go."

It has been reported in Spain that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez called Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales to complain about VAR after one match.

"I don't know if that call took place and I would like it to not have because otherwise, we would have a problem in the world of football," Bartomeu said.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas has claimed that the call did take place, but the Barca president said: "I don't know. Imagine if every president called Rubiales if there was something they didn't like.

"We have never done that. We have only presented a formal complaint. You have to leave it to the president to know how to act."

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