"They have turned the VAR into a tool to adulterate the competition" - Former Barcelona VP takes shots at Real Madrid
Former Barcelona director Toni Freixa has accused Real Madrid of manipulating VAR to suit their needs. The comments surfaced on the back of another controversial decision going Los Blancos' way during the weekend's game.
The Spanish champions locked horns with Real Sociedad at the Reale Arena on Saturday in La Liga. The game had its fair share of controversies, with Vinicius Junior's celebration after the first goal also grabbing headlines.
However, the talking point of the night arrived in the final 20 minutes of the game. The Brazilian forward entered the opposition box during a run of play before deciding to give the ball back to a team mate.
However, his pass was blocked by the home defense and Sociedad won possession back. The entire incident appeared ordinary at first and the game continued.
However, referee Martinez Munuera was soon notified by the VAR team about a possible infringement in the box. The Spanish official was asked to check the footage of the incident. Upon review, it was observed that Vinicius was brought down by Sociedad's Jon Aramburu.
The 24-year-old had already released the ball when the Venezuelan defender stamped on his foot. The referee decided to award Real Madrid a second penalty and it was subsequently converted by Kylian Mbappe. Los Blancos went on to win the game 2-0, but the decision received much controversy, with Barcelona fans alleging fraud.
Freixa took to social media to vent his anger, insisting that Real Madrid are using VAR to adulterate La Liga.
"What scoundrels they are. They have turned the VAR into a tool to adulterate the competition," wrote Freixa on X. [Translated]
Interestingly, Los Blancos have already been awarded four penalties in the league this season.
Can Barcelona pip Real Madrid to the La Liga title this season?
Real Madrid have registered a difficult start to the new campaign. Los Blancos have won three of their five games in the league, drawing the other two, with the team yet to fire on all cylinders.
Meanwhile, Barcelona have already picked up 15 points from their five games and have opened up a four point gap at the top of the La Liga table. The Catalans secure a 4-1 win over Girona on Sunday and are the early favorites for the league title.
As such, Barcelona fans are likely to be irked by the recent decisions going in their bitter rivals' favor. However, as long as their team continue to fire on all cylinders, they will have little reason to worry.