Estrada Fernández Blasts VAR After Audio From Barça-Girona: 'Negligent And...'

Yesterday, at the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc, Barça achieved a comfortable 4-1 victory over Girona. Hansi Flick's men dominated the match from start to finish, outperforming Míchel's team with solid and effective play. However, despite the decisive scoreline, the match was not without controversy, which has provoked a fierce reaction from former international referee Xavier Estrada Fernández.

Estrada Fernández, known for his critical approach to refereeing and the use of VAR, erupted on social media after the match, specifically over a play involving Fermín López. Throughout his career, Estrada has advocated for transparent and fair refereeing and has always expressed his dissatisfaction with the lack of clarity in the use of VAR. In this case, the controversy arose from an action involving Fermín López, who was about to enter Girona's area and was brought down by an opposing defender.

Estrada Fernández Reacts to Barça-Girona Controversy

The match referee, Pulido Santana, initially called a foul outside the area, but VAR intervened and suggested he review the play on the monitor. "I recommend you go see the image," is heard in the VAR audio: a recommendation that should have led Santana to review whether the foul was inside or outside. However, to everyone's surprise, Pulido Santana did not call the foul inside the area, but unexpectedly opted to call an offensive foul on Fermín.

This decision raised eyebrows, and Estrada Fernández was quick to express his outrage on social media. The former referee described the VAR's performance as "surreal, unbelievable, negligent, concerning, and scandalous," criticizing the lack of clarity in communication between the referees and the assistant referee system. "The VAR doesn't tell him what to review! Is the audio edited? Why doesn't it explain what he should assess?", wrote Estrada Fernández visibly angry on his Twitter account.

Although Barça took the three points, the match controversy has once again highlighted the need for greater transparency. The intervention of VAR, which was born with the intention of correcting obvious errors, continues to be a source of controversy, especially when decisions are not explained clearly and directly.

Estrada Fernández's anger resonates with many, who are calling for a more efficient and understandable system to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future.