Refereeing in Spain is at a historic low in terms of trust and credibility from the clubs in Spain. After Real Madrid's statement three weeks ago, the atmosphere is unsustainable for many reasons. Every weekend we have controversy, practically in every match played in our League.
Players, fans, executives, and media are tired of the lack of a unified criterion for certain actions. Last night, Barcelona's 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano did not go unnoticed, as there were several controversial actions. The former Atlético de Madrid player, and now commentator, Mario Suárez, spoke about it.
"This Is Getting Worse..."
Mario Suárez joined TVE to be one of the commentators for Spain's public television during open matches. During the match between Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano, he made his opinion on refereeing clear on his "X" account. "This is getting worse... Every matchday there are similar things that are called in one match and not in others."
The Atlético youth product didn't stop there. "Why do they call VAR for some things and not for others that are the same? Why does VAR have more decision-making power than the referee himself? There are things that are inexplicable." These comments were made referring to the penalty awarded to Barcelona for a hold in a corner. The controversy arose when in a similar action, Barcelona player Héctor Fort clearly held Mumin and didn't allow him to finish well.
In the Eye of the Storm
As has been said repeatedly, referees are human and can make mistakes, like everyone else. However, with the help of VAR, a criterion should be unified for certain actions that are sometimes called and sometimes not. This is what Mario Suárez refers to with his message.
VAR should be a tool that helps the refereeing group, not one that conditions it. It seems that every time a referee goes to review VAR, it's to change a previously made decision. Refereeing in Spain is under heavy scrutiny, and certain things need to change; otherwise, the issue could get worse.