La Liga president Javier Tebas warned that Real Madrid’s proposed report on Spanish refereeing will only damage the competition after yet another controversy.
Madrid have done little to hide their disdain for various calls from officials on the pitch and in the VAR booth over the years, although the vehemency of those critiques has taken on a sharper edge of late.
Reports from last season went as far as to suggest that the capital club were considering quitting La Liga entirely due to the poor officiating. That extreme never came to pass, but Madrid have compiled a dossier of refereeing blunders from this season and last to send to FIFA, world soccer’s governing body.
This drastic action was prompted by a red card for Dean Huijsen on Saturday which many felt was harsh—the Madrid center back clearly stopped a dangerous break for Real Sociedad but Xabi Alonso argued that Éder Militão’s close positioning ensured that Huijsen was not the last man or denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Tebas would not be drawn on his opinion of the incident in question. Instead, the officious official was more concerned with the contents of Madrid’s dossier. “As they said it covered all Spanish refereeing, it will cover all clubs...” he told assembled media at a La Liga event for Panini.
“If it only covers Madrid and Barcelona, it will be a biased report,” he warned. “We have Opta’s data on what happened with the expulsions for all clubs, the penalties... I haven’t seen any report on Real Madrid’s penalties. It’s curious... Let it be a complete report. Let everyone draw their own conclusions. You have to be very careful with what you say because it damages the competition.”
The La Liga chief did offer a potential alternative, citing the system used below Spain’s top flight where managers are allowed two VAR appeals per match.
“I have my opinion as a fan,” Tebas mused. “We should move towards the FVS [Football Video Support] model of the Primera RFEF. Coaches should call plays. Not a VAR room. We haven’t been here long; this is a global test being conducted. It would reduce the controversy. It’s rarely talked about, but it should be considered. I would like people to consider whether this system could be implemented in professional competitions.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Be Very Careful’—La Liga President Bites Back at Real Madrid With Stern Warning.