Spanish FA files complaint over Real Madrid VAR audio leak
Spain’s Football Association (RFEF) has lodged a complaint to Spanish Police after VAR audio conversations from Sunday’s match between Real Madrid and Almeria, which included several controversial refereeing decisions, were leaked to local media, the RFEF announced on Tuesday.
The audio includes an interaction between on-pitch referee Francisco Jose Hernandez Maeso and VAR official Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez about a possible red card for Vinicius Jr for hitting an opponent in the face.
There was no infringement called on the field and the play was not reviewed, so the VAR conversations between the officials should have remained private. Only official reviews are released to the general public.
“The RFEF, which is conducting an internal investigation into the incident, considers that it is extremely serious that this audiovisual material has been extracted and hopes that a response will be found as soon as possible in order to determine who is responsible,” the RFEF said in a statement.
The audio leaks fanned the flames of what was already a highly controversial match in which Real snatched a come-from-behind 3-2 win over bottom side Almeria.
They did it thanks to a Dani Carvajal strike in the ninth-minute of stoppage time in a frantic LaLiga tussle that was marked by VAR controversy, with three debatable decisions that awarded Real a goal and a penalty and ruled out an Almeria effort.
Sunday’s refereeing made headlines and sparked major debate in a country in which soccer authorities and refereeing officials have been under the microscope due to several scandals.