Madrit, Spain – As LaLiga dey enter dey last weeks of di season, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) don show powerful presence for di league dis year. With six rounds remaining, dem don record a staggering 162 VAR interventions, wey fit break di all-time record of 179 wey dem set for 2022-23.
Dis season, VAR dey intervene nearly once for every two matches, averaging 1.96 per game, surpassing last year’s total of 154. As di stakes rise and matches dey tight, di trend go likely continue, especially wit di 31st round wey saw VAR make 13 interventions, di highest for di season.
Historically, di usage of VAR dey increase for di final weeks of di season. Dis season, several factors contribute to di rise in VAR activity. One of dem be di observation sey referees dey miss more calls on di pitch, especially red-card offenses. Another major factor na di introduction of semi-automated offside technology wey improve di precision of player position detection, leading to 36 goals wey don overturned due to incorrect offside calls, compare to 22 last season.
Criticism don dey grow against di Spanish Referees’ Technical Committee (CTA), especially for di person of Luis Medina Cantalejo, wey encourage sey VAR suppose only intervene for clear and obvious errors. Medina Cantalejo talk sey, “VAR suppose serve as safety net for clear and obvious errors,” but many fans don dey complain say grey-area decisions still common.
Real Madrid and Villarreal don express dem frustration after di recent round of matches. Madrid demand sey VAR go check a possible penalty after Jude Bellingham face challenge, but VAR refuse to call referee Martínez Munuera to di monitor. Dem accuse di league of pushing dem out of LaLiga. Real Madrid TV call di officiating “third-world,” using FIFA’s decision to exclude Spanish referees from di upcoming Club World Cup as proof of di lack of trust.
Villarreal president Fernando Roig also condemn di disallowed late goal by Eyong and insisted sey di VAR suppose review dat decision. “We deserve respect,” Roig talk. Meanwhile, Celta Vigo also dey vex over multiple VAR calls after dem loss to Barcelona.
Di numbers no lie: Barcelona don benefit from 13 favorable VAR decisions this season, tied for di most across di league, while facing only six interventions. Real Madrid, however, don suffer 15 calls against dem and only six in dem favor – to be di worst net balance in di league, along with Alavés. Dis means sey Real Madrid fit don dey seven points better off if dem no get dis VAR decisions against dem.
As VAR continue dey handle controversial decisions, di ongoing season fit end wit record-breaking intervention numbers but also with more scrutiny than ever. Fans dey wonder whether di decisions go balance gidigba or na wahala we go dey face.
