Busquets baffled by VAR after Barca denied penalty

Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

Gerard Pique went down in the penalty area late on

Sergio Busquets questioned why VAR was not used at the end of Barcelona’s 2-2 draw against Real Sociedad on Saturday when Gerard Pique appeared to be fouled.

The centre-back went down in the box and looked like he had his shirt pulled, but the referee waved away Barca’s appeals and VAR did not intervene either.

Busquets has earlier given away a penalty for a similar offence and was left surprised at the end of the match by the decision not to award a second spot-kick.

“Controversy is always going to be there. There was wrestling for [Real Sociedad’s] penalty. I can grab him, but if you set the bar there, it’s going to be difficult.

”And the Pique one is proof because it was clearer than mine. The referee had to look at it, but there’s not much you can do.

”I don’t know why VAR didn’t review it. VAR has to intervene in moments like this. But you can’t keep going on about it, even though it’s a moment that could’ve decided the game.

”There are combative moments, but penalties are clear... If difficult to know why they behave like this, because they don’t make assessments or clarify it.”

Source | Marca

Reports after the match have claimed that Barcelona plan to complain to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) about the incident. President Josep Maria Bartomeu reportedly feels both decisions should have gone to VAR and was seriously unimpressed with the officiating.

Source: barcablaugranes.com