December 20 – In a landmark move, fans in Spain will be able to hear reasons for contentious VAR decisions following an agreement between the Spanish Football League (La Liga) and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
The system has increasingly infuriated fans across Europe this season, mainly due to inconsistency, and the new agreement in Spain means that in the New Year recorded verbal conversations between referees and VAR officials over controversial calls will be available at the end of each day when matches are played across the top two divisions.
However, they cannot be broadcast live as the rules of the International Football Association Board, the game’s lawmakers, do not allow it.
“This initiative marks a new scenario of collaboration and joint work between the RFEF and the Referees’ Technical Committee (CTA) with La Liga, with the aim of providing refereeing in professional football and the competitions themselves with greater transparency,” a joint statement said.
“With the broadcast of the images and audios once each day of competition has ended, the fans’ experience will improve and a greater understanding of refereeing decisions will be enabled on behalf of television viewers, thus improving the competitions as a whole.”
VAR has seen plenty of controversy across major leagues, especially with handball, and the Spanish project will commence during next month’s Supercopa in Saudi Arabia. It will then kick in at home with Sevilla’s home clash against Alaves on Friday January 12.
The two organisations that run the game in Spain have frequently been at loggerheads but relations appear to have thawed in recent months since Luis Rubiales resigned as Spanish FA president over the ‘kissgate’ affair.
“It’s fantastic that the conversations will be made public,” Barcelona boss Xavi said of the innovation.
“Referees need to be humanised. This is great news for world soccer. I am very happy. We have to help the referees. If we humanise the referees and they explain themselves and give a reason why they whistle or interpret this.”
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