Women's Barça qualified for the final of the Women's Super Cup after defeating Atlético de Madrid 3-0 in a match held on Wednesday at the Leganés stadium.
The blaugranas dominated the game from start to finish, showcasing their usual superiority on the field. With this victory, the culés will play the final against Real Madrid in a high-level clash.
Controversy with VAR
Although they won convincingly, the match was marked by the unusual failure of VAR for much of the game. According to a statement from the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), the video assistant referee was not operational until the 70th minute due to technical issues with the service provider, Mediapro.
"The Women's Super Cup semifinal between FC Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid couldn't use VAR technology until the 70th minute due to technical problems." This was explained by the CTA, which also apologized and assured that it would work to prevent a similar situation from happening again.
The VAR failure influenced the development of the match, as several key plays couldn't be reviewed in real-time. Among them were a possible penalty and an offside that left the teams and fans with doubts about the fairness of the refereeing decisions.
Statements from Pere Romeu and Cata Coll
After the match, Women's Barça's goalkeeper, Cata Coll, expressed her disbelief in a press conference. She explained that they were informed before the match started that VAR wasn't working properly.
"Before the match started, Alexia Putellas told us there was no VAR, that it was broken. I didn't understand anything," commented the goalkeeper.
Coll highlighted that the absence of VAR influenced the game: "There were debatable plays, like a penalty or an offside." It's unbelievable that in a match of this level, these things happen."
Women's Barça's coach, Pere Romeu, also didn't hide his displeasure with the situation. In his post-match statements, he described it as "curious" that VAR was inoperative for more than two-thirds of the match.
"It's quite striking to play 70 minutes without VAR in such an important competition. This shouldn't happen in professional soccer," stated Romeu.
They Hope It Won't Happen Again
Although the CTA apologized, the technical failure marred a day that should have been highlighted by Women's Barça's brilliant performance. Players and coaching staff hope this won't be repeated, especially in competitions where technology ensures sporting justice.