FC Barcelona’s management submitted an official complaint to the Technical Committee of Referees of the Royal Spanish Football Federation on Saturday, protesting what it described as repeated and impactful refereeing errors the team has faced in its recent matches.
In its complaint, Barcelona condemned the lack of consistency in disciplinary standards and the existence of differing decisions for identical situations, particularly regarding disciplinary sanctions. It considered this discrepancy creates a sense of double standards, which contradicts the principles of justice, equality, and legal security that should govern competition.
Barcelona Criticizes Contradictory Standards
The Catalan club also pointed to contradictory standards in handball incidents inside the penalty area and a lack of consistency in their interpretation, even in matches officiated by the same referees. It stated that this contradiction reinforces the impression of arbitrary decisions and a lack of predictability in law enforcement.
“Barça” emphasized the recurrence of serious refereeing errors throughout the season, many of which were decisive and went against the club’s interests. It viewed this accumulation as directly affecting the integrity of the competition and generating a growing state of distrust.
Barcelona expressed skepticism about the use and correct application of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, especially in millimeter decisions not accompanied by decisive technical explanations. It also denounced the lack of transparency in managing and publishing VAR audio recordings.
The complaint included the club’s questioning of the criteria for resorting to on-field monitor reviews, stating there is no clear and unified standard for referees to review footage on the pitch-side monitor. It considered this contributes to a feeling of insecurity and inequality in decision-making. It confirmed that this initiative does not aim to question the professionalism of the refereeing staff, but to demand an urgent review of the applied standards, with the goal of ensuring unified refereeing decisions and equal treatment for all clubs.
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Barcelona demanded the full publication of all VAR referee conversation recordings, regardless of whether there was an on-field review, considering this a fundamental measure for transparency and refereeing awareness.
It proposed creating a specific disciplinary code or regulation for the refereeing staff, stipulating public and transparent consequences in cases of serious errors or negligence, aiming to enhance trust in the system. It clarified that this proposal is not solely for defending its own interests, but comes within the framework of seeking to improve the overall performance of competitions for the benefit of all clubs, avoiding the repetition of such cases in the future, and ensuring a clear, stable, and fair framework for everyone.
FC Barcelona stressed the necessity of studying its demands with the utmost seriousness and taking concrete measures to avoid the repetition of such errors in the future.
