Barcelona president Joan Laporta has called for a potential replay of Sunday’s Clásico against Real Madrid if it is confirmed that a VAR error resulted in Lamine Yamal’s disallowed goal at the Bernabéu.
Yamal’s shot, which occurred at 1-1 in the first half, was cleared off the line by Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin. However, without goal-line technology in LaLiga, VAR determined that the ball did not fully cross the line.
Despite Barcelona’s appeals, Madrid ultimately secured a 3-2 victory, extending their lead to 11 points over Barça in the league standings with only six matches remaining.
“There were several debatable incidents in the match, but amongst all of them, there is one that is crucial and can change the result of the game,” Laporta said in a statement on Monday.
“I am referring to the ‘phantom goal’ by Lamine Yamal. As a club, we want to be sure about what happened. For that reason we will make an immediate request for a comprehensive collection of footage and audio from the incident.
“If once this documentation has been analysed, the club understands that an error was made in the revision of the incident, we will take all available measures to reverse the situation, without discounting, obviously, any necessary legal action.
“If it is confirmed that it was a legal goal, we will move ahead and request that the game be replayed, just as has happened in another game in Europe due to a VAR error.”
Earlier this season, a match between Anderlecht and Genk in the top tier of Belgian football was replayed in its entirety due to a VAR error, which resulted in a misapplication of the laws of the game.
However, this incident involved encroachment before a penalty kick was taken, rather than a disputed goal.
Similarly, in Spain, a judge ruled last year that VAR failed to provide the referee with all available images of a goal awarded to Atlético Madrid in their 3-3 draw against Espanyol.
Despite the goal being allowed to stand, additional footage suggesting that the ball did not cross the line was not presented to the match official.
This decision had significant consequences for Espanyol, who were ultimately relegated from the league.
Laporta also said there were “various other incidents” during the game that Barça disagreed with and “could have been reviewed by VAR.”
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen expressed their dismay at the absence of goal-line technology in Spain, labelling it “embarrassing” following their team’s defeat.
Xavi further remarked that since the beginning of the season, particularly in their away match against Getafe, he has noticed a pattern of significant decisions going against Barcelona.
As their LaLiga title hopes dwindle, these sentiments underscore the frustration felt within the club.
Laporta took a similar view, adding: “We are forced into [this action] after having suffered various incidents on the pitch that have damaged us and others that have benefited our rival.
“Added together, those incidents reflect the difference in points that there is at the top of the table in La Liga.“
Laporta’s statement has been met with “astonishment” and “surprise” by Madrid, according to a source, who adds that Los Blancos believe the Barça president is just going on the attack to appease supporters.