Rayo Vallecano's coach, Inigo Perez, didn't mince words when expressing his frustration following a contentious 1-1 draw against Barcelona. The bone of contention? A malfunctioning VAR system that threw a shadow of doubt over a crucial penalty decision awarded to the Catalan giants.
The match, held on Sunday, saw Rayo Vallecano snatch a hard-earned point against Hansi Flick's Barcelona. This draw marked the first time Barcelona had dropped points this season, a stark contrast to their previous victories against Mallorca and Levante. The game, however, was overshadowed by the VAR controversy.
Barcelona took the lead courtesy of a penalty converted by Lamine Yamal in the 40th minute. The spot-kick was awarded after Yamal went down under a challenge from Pep Chavarria. What followed sparked outrage. The VAR system, usually a safeguard against blatant errors, was unavailable due to technical difficulties. Adding insult to injury, Referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer had informed both teams before the match that the technology was faulty. While service was briefly restored, the connection was lost again in the 11th minute, rendering pitch-side reviews impossible.
"Cheating is a strong word, but it does mislead," Perez stated, hinting at the unfair advantage Barcelona may have gained due to the VAR malfunction. His initial reaction was visible on the sidelines as he questioned the validity of the game. He later told DAZN that such circumstances warrant a postponement, ensuring fair play for both teams.
Perez, reflecting on his behavior, admitted to DAZN: "I was ashamed of my behaviour, it was the result of frustration. I have always supported the referees; I am a faithful defender of referees, even when they make errors." He further lamented the inconsistency of VAR's availability, stating, "What bothers me today is that players can’t spend five minutes with VAR, five minutes without VAR… That influences the game a lot. They have apologised to us." He also added, "I am bothered by the lack of efficiency. Maybe it’s Rayo Vallecano’s fault, I wouldn’t be surprised if they made it sound like that."
Despite the controversy, Perez acknowledged his team's performance. "It was a very complete game on our part; we had it drawn up in our heads," he said, highlighting the tactical preparation that allowed Rayo to compete against the reigning LaLiga champions.
On the Barcelona side, coach Hansi Flick expressed dissatisfaction with his team's performance, particularly their inability to register a shot on target in the second half. Rayo Vallecano's Fran Perez capitalized on this lapse, scoring the equalizer in the 67th minute.
Flick, however, praised the performance of goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who made five crucial saves to secure a point for Barcelona. "We made a lot of mistakes; we can play much better. Rayo played fantastically. I’m not happy with my team today," Flick commented. He added, "Rayo are a very intense team, but we had to control the game better. Joan Garcia played a fantastic game today, it was fantastic to see how he made his saves. He’s very good with how he works with the ball. He’s fast and didn’t make any mistakes today. He is confident with the ball and without it. It was a good decision to sign him."
Barcelona now prepare to face Valencia after the international break on September 14. With this draw, they now trail Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao by two points.
The VAR controversy has ignited a debate about the reliability and consistency of the technology in LaLiga. While intended to eliminate human error, incidents like this raise questions about its implementation and the potential for it to unfairly influence match outcomes.
