VAR audio from Real Sociedad vs Barcelona leaked for Ronald Araujo’s late winner: “The lines are touching”

The refereeing in Spain has become a subject of great controversy this season, with controversial calls being handed out like Christmas cards.

And Barcelona can attest to the aforementioned claim with personal experience, struggling to find fortune with the officiating.

While Barça merely have themselves to blame for their topsy-turvy season, dubious calls against them continue to be a recurring theme.

Caught red-handed?

Journalist Gerard Romero has recently been going on a spree of releasing audio visuals of VAR officials, with a shady conversation in a Barcelona game recently entering his crosshairs.

In November last year, Barcelona locked horns with Real Sociedad, with Ronald Araujo coming in clutch to score an excellent header in stoppage time.

The goal was initially ruled out by the assistant referee, but evidence shared by VAR compelled the refs to reverse their decision.

However, Gerard Romero reports that Barcelona’s winner against Real Sociedad was in jeopardy of being ruled out, owing to some insistence by one of the referees to tamper with the offside lines.

Acknowledging it as a legal goal, the VAR official affirms that the lines are touching: “For your information, the lines are touching, ok?”

But despite the validity of the goal, the referee asks them to separate the lines to justify his decision: “If you can separate them somehow…”

While it would be difficult to draw any legitimate conclusions from this brief exchange, such moments give weight to the biased refereeing against Barcelona.

Xavi, who has been vocal in his annoyance with the referees, has not shied away from highlighting that his team has been hard done by referees this season.

In fact, after the win against 3-1 Alaves, he argued that the Blaugranes are paying the price for the ‘Negreira case’.