Barcelona players sway the referee: VAR 'on demand' for Betis's disallowed goal!

A sarcastic comment from a veteran referee

New footage from the Barcelona versus Real Betis match has reopened the controversy surrounding Giovani Lo Celso's disallowed goal, revealing details of the exchange between the referee and the Catalan side's players during the review. The incident has drawn criticism over the way the video technology review was requested.

The stir this time stems from a comment by former Spanish referee Iturralde González. He criticised, according to what was published by the newspaper Marca, a phrase that appeared in the recordings, arguing it opens the door to what he sarcastically dubbed "VAR on demand". The match itself ended with Barcelona beating Betis 5-2.

Repeated objections from Barcelona's players

Footage released by the Spanish league association, according to Marca, through referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea's camera, caught a number of Barcelona players insisting the referee award a handball against Colombian Cucho Hernández, during the attack that ended with Lo Celso scoring a goal that was later chalked off.

Pedri led the protests. He assured the referee the handball was clear, while de Burgos insisted at the start of the discussion that he did not consider the play worthy of an offence.

Lamine Yamal and Fermín López joined in, keeping the argument alive over whether Cucho had used his hand to control the ball.

During the conversation, the referee turned to the video technology official Carlos del Cerro Grande: "Review the handball for me, that's what they're asking of me, Cerro". That phrase has become the focus of the new criticism.

Reacting on "X", Iturralde González wrote: "We've just discovered VAR on demand. Review this play for me because they're asking me to".

His objection centres on the principle of reviewing plays. Players requesting a review of a specific incident, he argues, should not be what directs the intervention of video technology. The officiating crew must instead determine whether there is an incident that warrants a review in line with the procedures in force.

Acabamos de descubrir el VAR a la carta. Chequeame esto que me piden. https://t.co/A9kSEhkitO

De Burgos requested a review of the sequence, including the phase that preceded Lo Celso's shot, before he disallowed the goal because of the handball committed by Cucho at the start of the attack.

The controversy was no longer confined to the decision to disallow the goal. It now extends to the conversation that preceded the review, after the referee's phrase drew criticism from Iturralde and reopened questions about the dividing lines between players' protests and the procedures that govern the intervention of video technology.