- Pedri slammed La Liga over poor officiating
- VAR technical issues created major confusion at Vallecas
- Barcelona dropped points for the first time this season
Barcelona’s unbeaten start to the season was dented in a chaotic 1-1 draw against Rayo last weekend, where technical failures with the VAR system sparked confusion and frustration. Players were told at different points during the game that VAR was available and then unavailable, leaving both teams unsure about decisions on the pitch.
Pedri, who features prominently Barca’s in midfield, later voiced his anger, questioning the professionalism of La Liga in handling such a key part of modern football. Repeated officiating problems have already drawn complaints from several clubs last season, and the Spaniards public criticism reflects growing frustration at La Liga’s inability to maintain consistency with VAR. For the Catalan giants, dropped points in games like this could prove decisive come the end of the campaign.
Speaking in an interview with Onda Cero Pedri explained: “At first they said there was no VAR, halfway through the match they said there was, then they said there wasn’t… You didn’t know when VAR was on.
“It’s strange, it’s the first match I’ve seen where VAR didn’t work and I think it needs to be improved so that La Liga can be much more serious.The referee would tell the captains whether there was VAR or not and Frenkie would tell us.”
Pedri will now join up with Spain ahead of fixtures against Bulgaria and Turkey. With Flick continuing to rely on his midfield intelligence, the 22-year-old is expected to play a central role both for club and country in the coming weeks.
