Date Published: 06/02/2025

Impact of VAR decisions on La Liga clubs this season

Video technology has transformed Spanish football, and not necessarily for the better

VAR remains a controversial topic among La Liga clubs and fans. Despite being in use since the start of the 2018/19 season, many remain unconvinced or dissatisfied with its implementation.

The in-stadium fan experience remains far from ideal, as VAR decisions often leave attendees uncertain about what is happening. Some decisions still arguably take far too long to be made, while many remain difficult to understand.

How VAR decisions impact fans

VAR decisions can significantly impact fans in various ways. Most will recognise they can impact league standing, match results, and other elements related to the immediate situation; some may forget others can be impacted. For instance, those who like to wager on the sport can be impacted by the decisions.

La Liga is a global sporting competition. It’s argued to be the best football competition in the world. As a result, it attracts plenty of global betting attention. Many bettors place wagers on La Liga fixtures through international sites, often seeking bonuses and other benefits offered by offshore platforms. With the league’s popularity, several options exist.

Now, with VAR in place, betting can become more difficult than ever. Goals may be chalked off that impact a bettor’s bet. Dodgy decisions can be made which can also be detrimental, such as the awarding of a controversial handball or a soft penalty that wouldn’t have been given without the technology’s assistance.

Clubs have been impacted more so

While VAR has been criticised for affecting the fan experience, its impact on clubs is equally significant. Supporters may be the oxygen of the club and keep them alive with their fanfare, however, it’s the clubs that need results on the pitch to ensure success. As noted, VAR can sometimes have an impact on this.

Before the VAR check 🆚 After the VAR check 😩#MUFC || #FULMUN pic.twitter.com/DuQgFaGYyV
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 26, 2025

It’s a discussion point that rears its ugly head often in other leagues, too. As the 2024/25 Premier League season has passed the halfway point, ESPN decided to delve deep and see how each team has been impacted thus far. In their article, they noted the following:

VAR has been markedly better this season compared to the last two
Brentford, Manchester United, and West Ham United have each been affected by two VAR errors this season, the most of any team
Everton and Brighton have benefited the most with two VAR mistakes in their favour each
Everton and Leicester have benefited the most across all metrics, while Aston Villa has suffered the most misfortune

Brentford were on the receiving end of an incorrect VAR decision when Christian Norgaard was sent off against Everton on November 23, while they should have seen Joao Pedro be sent off in their game against Brighton on December 27 for violent conduct. Both of the other clubs involved in the fixtures benefited from the decisions, giving them their first of two each.

Manchester United’s two errors stem from the incorrect decision to award West Ham a penalty in the 92’ for a foul by Matthijs de Ligt on Danny Ings that was determined it shouldn’t have been awarded. The other mistake was regarding the sending off of Bruno Fernandes in the game against Tottenham, when he was shown red but should have been given a yellow.

West Ham’s two VAR errors include the one made by officials in their game with Brighton when Pervis Estupinan wasn’t sent off (giving Brighton their second beneficial decision). He received a yellow for his challenge on Max Kilman, but it was felt he should have been shown a red. In addition, the Hammers should have had a penalty awarded in the game against Liverpool when Alexis Mac Allister tussled with Carlos Soler off the ball in the box.

Everton’s other beneficial decision came when they scored a goal against Wolves on December 4 that should have been ruled out. Abdoulaye Doucoure was involved in the action despite being in an offside position, as he blocked an opponent in the build up of an own goal scored by Craig Dawson.

According to the article, there have been improvements in some aspects of the technology’s usage. For example, they highlighted that there had only been three mistakes so far regarding incorrect VAR interventions. This is the same as the total experienced last season at this point, but it suggests improvements are being made. Similarly, there has been a decrease in the number of missed interventions during the same period, with last year’s total of 17 going down to seven.

Have clubs been impacted by the ‘referee’s call’ phrase?

When VAR was first introduced, the phrase ‘clear and obvious’ was widely used. It was the directive in which referees were supposed to judge their decisions. When the VAR was analysing the decisions that were made on the field, they would need to keep this in mind when assessing what happened and whether a further review was needed. In truth, it became a mess. No one understood what ‘clear and obvious’ had meant, especially as decisions would ultimately end up being subjective and opinionated.

This season, VAR introduced the ‘referee’s call’ system to reinforce on-field decisions and reduce the perception that referees are being overruled by officials. It also meant the referee could have a means of justifying the decision they made and be able to stick with it.

Since the introduction of this directive, the number of first-half-of-the-season errors has decreased, suggesting a positive impact on clubs. At this point last year, we had 18 errors. This time around, there have been just 12 that can be classified as mistakes.

There have also been improvements regarding second yellow cards, with referees being backed further. After the first 19 games of last season, we saw a total of 11 mistakes be logged where players should have perhaps seen a second yellow and been dismissed. This year, just eight have been made, with five given and three not.

Will VAR always impact clubs?

VAR remains a divisive issue, attracting both criticism and praise. However, statistics indicate that its implementation has improved. For some, it’s been a long time coming.

VAR is here to stay, and clubs must adapt to its impact, regardless of the decisions made. Not everyone is going to like each outcome that is made, even if it is correct. However, as long as the decision is correct, there can’t be too many complaints about its involvement and usage. Even if that means a team drops points because they’ve been hit with a decision that sees a goal ruled out or go against them.

Courtesy to Kevin Roberts

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