Rafa Yuste, acting president of FC Barcelona, criticised the refereeing during Wednesday’s 1-0 victory over Celta Vigo, particularly over a disallowed goal by Ferran Torres in the 56th minute that would have killed the game.
The 26-year-old forward found the back of the net with a fine finish after being set up by Pedri. But his celebrations were cut short by the VAR as the goal was chalked off for offside, even though the images shown suggested that there was nothing wrong.
Therefore, the decision has caused a lot of frustration in the Barcelona locker room. After the game, manager Hansi Flick asked the referees for an explanation for the decision, and now Yuste has spoken out publicly about the matter.
Ferran had a goal disallowed vs Celta Vigo. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
“It will be a league title that, if won, will be of great value; sometimes you have to fight against adversity. If you know me, you know I don’t like to talk about referees,” the Barça president started.
“But I’ll say it again: there are six people refereeing a match: the main referee, two linesmen, and three people who are locked in a room calmly analysing the plays. Therefore, I can’t understand it,” he lamented.
He added:“For me, it is unacceptable that one of the best leagues in the world has these systems with so little control and which need to be greatly improved for all teams, not just for Barça.”
However, it must be noted that the Referees Technical Committee (CTA) has backed the decision made by the VAR, insisting that there was no mistake made.
Regarding Lamine Yamal’s injury, Yuste noted: “It’s a significant loss, but I’m convinced the squad will pull through. We’re a family, and we have this winning mentality with everyone we have.”
Source: Mundo Deportivo
