Fans complain of VAR ‘corruption’ as bizarre ‘phantom goal’ given after ‘biased’ review
FOOTBALL fans cried “corruption” after Atletico Madrid were controversially awarded a goal against Espanyol last night.
Diego Simeone’s side had already taken a first-half lead, after ex-Chelsea loanee Saul Niguez squeezed a shot beyond Fernando Pacheco.
Atletico’s second goal was the controversial one, having been awarded following a VAR check.
LaLiga is Europe’s only major league that does NOT use goal line technology.
When Yannick Carrasco’s struck the post, Antoine Griezmann followed in with the rebound.
Pacheco appeared to have gotten across, before a VAR check was launched to determine whether the ball had crossed the line.
TV images struggled to determine whether the whole ball had indeed crossed – with Pacheco’s body blocking what would be the most reliable camera angle.
After the goal was controversially given, fans took to social media to call foul play.
One wrote: “If you can’t show that it’s a goal, you can’t give the goal, also the referee doesn’t give it from the field, Espanyol is badly hurt, once again.”
While a second tweeted: “That ball doesn’t go in. Incomprehensible to give a goal with that image when the referee has not given it.”
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Another added: “With these images it cannot be said that it has entered.”
Carrasco then scored to put Atletico 3-0 up less than a minute after half-time – before Espanyol launched a spirited comeback to draw 3-3 – with ex-Stoke Real Madrid target Joselu getting on the scoresheet.
The controversial decision comes hot on the heels of LaLiga admitting that it mistakenly sent Vinicius Jr off due to a “biased” review.
Spain’s Competition Committee wrote: “The action of the VAR referee would not be framed in a “human error”, since the image that he sent to the referee of the match to assess the action produced was totally partial, biased and determinant of the error of the referee in the assessment of occurred and, with it, the unjust expulsion of the player, turning the victim into an aggressor.”
Images beamed to the match referee showed Vinicius shoving away Valencia’s Hugo Duro, without including a clip of Duro having had him in a headlock.
Vinicius, who was racially abused from the stands during the match, subsequently had his ban revoked.