An ongoing problem in sports, several concerns about referees were heard loud and clear in Spanish soccer last season. The Technical Referees Committee (CTA) decided to conduct an internal investigation as the complaints from many clubs were significant enough this time. Four teams had good grounds to be upset with the officials’ calls, according to the committee. And despite their outspoken objections, neither Real Madrid nor Barcelona featured in that group.

Relevo claims that the CTA identified four teams that suffered from poor officiating decisions. These include Real Betis and the three relegated teams – Granada, Cadiz, and Almeria. These acknowledgments came after a thorough internal review of the season’s decisions, particularly focusing on the final weeks.

The CTA, headed by Carlos Clos Gomez, who oversees VAR, regularly convenes to review officiating performances. However, this particular review was limited to the main referees and the heads of the committee, excluding the assistant referees. The primary focus of this review was on offside decisions, a recurring point of contention throughout the season.

Despite reassurances from Clos Gomez about the accuracy of VAR and the offside tools, more than ten referees have expressed concerns over the precision of these tools. The review highlighted five key decisions worth scrutiny. Four of those stood out due to significant errors.

What were the officiating errors and controversial calls?

During Matchday 31, Mikel Oyarzabal scored for Real Sociedad against Almeria. However, the goal should not have stood. Oyarzabal was in an offside position. The error stemmed from the failure to draw the line from the furthest part of his body, his knee. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.

The next matchday, Girona’s Artem Dovbyk earned a goal against Cadiz. VAR incorrectly drew the line from his knee instead of his shoulder. Girona won the match 4-1. During the same weekend, Athletic Club’s Gorka Guruzeta scored in a 1-1 draw against Granada. Nonetheless, he was offside earlier in the move.

Then in Matchday 35, Betis defeated Almeria 3-2. Luka Romero scored a goal that should not have stood. VAR officials mistakenly drew a line from Juan Miranda’s knee instead of Romero’s hand. These errors underscore the inconsistencies in the application of VAR and offside technology, leading to calls for improvements and more precise tools.

Further issues for LaLiga referees representing Spain

In response to the ongoing issues with offside decisions, reports claim FIFA’s semi-automated offside technology from the 2022 World Cup will enter LaLiga next season. This new technology aims to reduce human error and increase the accuracy of offside calls, potentially addressing some of the concerns raised by teams and officials.

The officiating woes were not exclusive to LaLiga alone. Spanish referees Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez and Jesus Gil Manzano, along with their assistants Diego Barbero Sevilla and Angel Nevado Rodriguez, will not feature at the 2024 European Championship. This decision followed a major controversy during the opening round of fixtures, where an incorrect goal-kick call led to France narrowly defeating Austria.

Both teams expressed dissatisfaction with the officiating. The fallout resulted in the Spanish officials going home and their exclusion from the knockout stages of the tournament. As a result, Martinez Munuera remains LaLiga’s sole representative at Euro 2024, continuing his duties in the VAR room under close scrutiny from UEFA.

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