La Liga and Mediapro blame each other for VAR failure during Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona | OneFootball

Barcelona’s last match before the international break saw them being held to a 1-1 draw by Rayo Vallecano.

But more than the scoreline, what stood out was the controversy surrounding the VAR system, which malfunctioned for much of the first half at Vallecas.

The problem began when referee Busquets Ferrer informed both teams that the VAR was “coming and going,” forcing him to officiate without the technology for nearly the entire first half.

The timing couldn’t have been worse as the most debated incident of the match, a penalty shout involving Lamine Yamal, went unchecked, infuriating Rayo coach Inigo Perez.

Mediapro blames poor power supply

Even days after the incident, the VAR goof-up in Vallecano has continued to dominate headlines in the Spanish press.

According to a recent report from AS, Mediapro, the company responsible for providing VAR in Spain, issued a statement on Thursday blaming the issue on the stadium’s power supply.

Rayo coach Inigo Perez threatened the take his players off due to the VAR goof-up. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“The one assigned to the GRUP MEDIAPRO Mobile Unit at the stadium was not sufficient to ensure its proper functioning. The differential of said outlet did not have sufficient sensitivity (300mA) to support the electrical consumption required,” the statement read.

The company said officials scrambled to find alternatives and eventually connected the unit to a UPS during halftime.

La Liga, however, flatly rejected this explanation and pointed the finger at Mediapro’s equipment.

“The incident in the VAR system was due to an internal failure of the Mediapro Mobile Unit, which had an electrical leakage and caused the differentials of both the stadium and an external generator to trip,” the league said.

The league insisted that the Vallecas facilities operated correctly, noting that a Conference League match was hosted there the same week without incident.

With the refereeing and VAR in La Liga constantly under scrutiny, it is imperative that all stakeholders work together to ensure that there is no repeat of last weekend’s incident going forward.