Did you get Demoted Because of VAR?' Spain, Unprecedented Miscarriage of Justice Controversy

One video review (VAR) mistake may have changed fate. Spain's La Liga is embroiled in the biggest controversy of all time.

Spain's Mundo Deportivo said on the 15th (Korean time), "The Spanish court ruled in Espanyol's favor regarding Griezmann's ghost goal. A Madrid court ruled that the VAR system omitted important scenes in the match between Espanyol and Atletico Madrid and clearly caused harm to Espanyol. 먹튀검증사이트

The incident occurred during the match between Espanyol and Atletico in the 36th round of the 2022-2023 La Liga in May last year. At the time, Espanyol was in the relegation zone, ranked 19th in the league. However, it was possible to remain depending on the results of the remaining games.

Espanyol was desperate for three points, but played a difficult game against the powerful Atlético. They gave up the first goal to Saul Niguez in the 21st minute of the first half, and allowed an additional goal to Antoine Griezmann in the 44th minute of the first half.

In addition, Espanyol conceded a goal to Yannick Carrasco at the end of the second half and went down 0-3. However, Cesar Montes' makeshift goal in the 19th minute of the second half, Joselu's penalty kick in the 31st minute of the second half, and Vinicius Souza's equalizer in the 34th minute of the second half resulted in a 3-3 draw.
Espanyol won 1 point with great persistence. However, the scene where Griezmann scored, the second goal conceded, was embroiled in controversy. Carrasco's shot hit Espanyol goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco and hit the post. Griezmann shot again, but Pacheco flew out and cleared the ball. The referee declared it was not a goal, but after VAR, it was recognized as a goal.

Espanyol was very angry. This is because there was no video from an angle that could prove that the ball clearly crossed the goal line. Espanyol, who thought they had lost two points, filed an official appeal and requested that the match be annulled.

This was not accepted, and Espanyol met Valencia and Almeria, drawing both matches, and was eventually relegated. The point difference with 17th-place Almeria was 4 points, so even if they won against Atletico, it would have been difficult to survive. However, since the last opponent was Almeria, a direct competitor, and there is an upside that can be gained with a win, Espanyol is likely to remain disappointed for a long time.

This was a problem that would not have occurred if goal line reading technology, the so-called 'Hawkeye', had been present. La Liga President Javier Tebas refused to introduce Hawkeye on the grounds that installation costs were too high, and the league is being run without Hawkeye this season as well.

The decision of referee Mario Melero Lopez, who was in charge at the time, was also pointed out. Hawkeye aside, if he could not confirm that the ball went into the goal, he should not have overturned the centrist decision and declared a score. Iturralde González, a former referee, also criticized this part and nailed it as “a clear refereeing mistake.”

Now the court has made the same decision. According to Mundo Deportivo, the VAR review room at the time omitted a scene from a critical angle and sent it out. A total of three angles of video were broadcast on TV, but not all of them could be clearly confirmed. This part is a biased decision unfavorable to Espanyol.

Mundo Deportivo said, “The Madrid court pointed out that VAR officials hid the video of the controversial scene,” and “The VAR referee only showed part of the video to the referee.” But he omitted other footage that raised questions, or at least raised doubts, about whether the ball actually completely crossed the goal line. Espanyol said at the time that he immediately protested, but was dismissed.

Espanyol is considering new legal action following this ruling. Mundo Deportivo said, “According to a club source, Espanyol is considering legal action and has entrusted legal advice,” adding, “Espanol can protest on more grounds or seek compensation.” He added, “It hasn’t happened yet.”