Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick defended the use of the video arbitration system-VAR in the victory over Rayo Vallecano, after the guests protested a series of controversial decisions in the match from the 24th round of the Spanish La Liga, BTA reported.
The striker of the Catalan giants Robert Lewandowski scored the only goal for the victory with 1:0 from a penalty in the first half after a long review of the situation with VAR due to a violation in the penalty area, which the referee initially did not see.
Rayo Vallecano also complained that they were not awarded a penalty, and the guests were angry that they did not reach an equalizer after they believed that a goal by Jorge de Frutos was overruled in the 42nd minute.
"I haven't watched the incidents again, but I will always defend VAR. We have VAR and I believe in the system. That's all I can say on the subject", Hansi Flick told Movistar Plus television.
"We are very happy with the three points because it was a difficult match for us to win against a great opponent. Rayo Vallecano are in good form, they are playing very well. It was a tough match for the players and I am proud of them," Flick continued.
The situations from Monday's match add to the growing debate about refereeing in Spain, where Barcelona and Real Madrid lead the La Liga standings with 51 points each.
"Everyone is happy and I think we played well, but we can be better. I think it was a great success for us to win today and come out on top. That's very positive," the Barcelona coach said, adding:
"However, I'm not a fan of looking at the standings. It's still February and there's a long way to go. I'm happy for the players. Their attitude is to fight until the end and we'll go game after game".