According to reports from Spanish media, FC Barcelona is considering filing an official complaint with the Royal Spanish Football Federation following the malfunction of the semi-automated offside system during their Copa del Rey clash against Atlético Madrid. The Catalan club suffered a heavy 0-4 defeat at the Cívitas Metropolitano stadium this past Thursday in the first leg of the domestic cup’s semi-final.
The club’s frustration stems from several controversial refereeing incidents that marred the match, with the disallowed goal for Pau Cubarsí and the sending-off of Éric García being the most prominent. Barcelona now faces the daunting task of overturning this significant deficit in the return leg, scheduled for March 3 at their home ground, the Spotify Camp Nou.
System Failure and Protracted Review Cause Outrage
As reported by the newspaper Mundo Deportivo this Friday, profound discontent reigns within Barcelona’s ranks due to the system’s inability to function during the review of Cubarsí’s goal—a routine situation frequently occurring in matches. The club’s board, technical staff, and players were left astonished by the six-and-a-half-minute review process that ultimately led to the goal’s cancellation in the 52nd minute, a goal that would have made the score 4-1.
The Technical Committee of Referees issued a statement explaining the incident: “During the analysis process, a malfunction was detected in the digital skeletal modeling of the players due to the high density of individuals in the area. After an unsuccessful attempt to recalibrate the system, and following established protocols, the VAR team resorted to manually drawing the offside lines to make the final and correct decision.” Barcelona’s anger peaked precisely because of this system failure to generate the necessary digital images in a crowded penalty area scenario, with head coach Hansi Flick receiving no clarification on the sidelines during the lengthy stoppage.
Beyond the technological controversy, Barcelona remains bewildered by the officiating decisions concerning player discipline. Flick had previously pointed out that the game’s first incident, a challenge by Julian Simeone on Alejandro Balde, warranted a yellow card. The club was further stunned by the referee’s decision to overlook what they deemed a straight red card offense for the Argentine forward following another strong challenge on the Catalan full-back in the second half.