The VAR audio of the goal disallowed to Fermín López unleashes culé outrage

The Clásico between Barça and Real Madrid played in Montjuïc continues to give something to talk about. Beyond the result or the goals, one of the episodes that has marked the story after the match has been the goal disallowed to Fermín López, which could have meant the definitive 5-2.

Now, the publication of the VAR audio during that action has raised the tension, by including phrases such as “luck” or “thank goodness” that many interpret as a reflection of partiality and lightness in the making of arbitration decisions.

The surprising goal disallowed to Fermín López

In the 85th minute of the match, with the score 4-2 in favor of Barça, Fermín López received a ball inside the area and, after a great individual action, sent the ball into the back of the net.

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The stadium erupted in a celebration that lasted just seconds, as the referee, Hernández Hernández, was called from the VOR room by the VAR referee, Juan Martínez Munuera, to review the play for a possible previous handball by the Andalusian.

After watching the action on the monitor, Hernández Hernández decided to disallow the goal considering that the ball had touched Fermín's hand and that it was in an unnatural position. The decision was controversial live, but it would be even more so after the publication of the audio of the review.

The VAR audio that raises distrust and suspicions

The Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) published this Monday the complete audio of the communication between the VAR and the field referee. In it you can clearly hear how, after the replays, Hernández Hernández states that “the hand is up” and that it is in an “unnatural position.”

However, what has attracted the most attention has not been the technical interpretation, but an expression collected in the audio: “thank goodness”, which some attribute to the VAR referee. Although that phrase does not appear transcribed in the subtitles of the video, it is clearly perceived in the recording.

For many Barça fans and analysts, that expression does not correspond to the neutrality expected in an arbitration review, and fuels the growing feeling that controversial decisions in the Clásicos always fall on the white side.

In addition, the video shared by the RFEF avoids including that textual fragment, which has been interpreted as a way of covering up a possible bias or inappropriate attitude in the handling of the VAR.

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Double arbitration standard: Fermín YES, Tchouaméni NO

The goal disallowed to Fermín was not the only action that has generated controversy. Minutes before, a handball by Tchouaméni inside the area was not sanctioned as a penalty, despite the protests from the Barça players and the images that showed how the ball hits the Frenchman's arm inside the area after a cross.

Throughout the match, the arbitration decisions of Hernández Hernández were at the center of the discussion. From the fouls not called, to the verbal warnings without cards in plays similar to others that were sanctioned to the azulgranas, the criteria seemed unequal in the eyes of many.

The theory of the “new play” that is ignored

One of the arguments used by analysts after the match is that, even if Fermín López's handball is recognized in the action prior to the goal, Fede Valverde's subsequent intervention when trying to clear the ball should have restarted the play, which would invalidate the handball as a reason for cancellation.

This interpretation, however, was not taken into account in the final decision of the referee, nor is it mentioned in the VAR analysis. This omission further fuels the feeling of injustice in the azulgrana fans, who have already experienced several recent Clásicos with discussed decisions that have directly influenced the score or key moments of the match.

The pressure from FC Barcelona and its environment on the arbitration establishment grows

From the environment of Fútbol Club Barcelona, although there have been no official statements after the publication of the audio, the outrage is evident both on social networks and in sports gatherings.

The fact that the referee disallowed a crucial goal in a Clásico based on a millimetric play —and that is now under suspicion for the language used during the review— has caused a new wave of criticism towards the management of Spanish arbitration.

Hansi Flick already showed himself very annoyed at a press conference after the match, although without referring directly to the audio. What is clear is that this new leak does not calm the waters, but fuels the narrative of a Barça systematically harmed in the big matches.