Arsene Wenger slams refereeing decisions and backs Barcelona’s case – ‘Can’t judge in slow motion’ | OneFootball

Barcelona’s 3-4 loss to Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg was a tough blow for the team and their supporters.

The match was already an emotional rollercoaster, but the pain was intensified due to a series of controversial refereeing decisions that seemed to go against Barcelona. The players were left frustrated and disappointed, especially after such a hard-fought battle.

One of the key moments in the match that sparked outrage was the penalty awarded to Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez after a review by VAR. Many, including football experts, felt that the decision was questionable.

Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s director of world football development, was particularly critical of the VAR process. He argued that the system is being used incorrectly in football.

“You can’t referee in slow motion. VAR isn’t meant for this kind of situation, and it can’t continue like this,” Wenger said, as quoted by SPORT.

Lautaro Martinez was awarded a penalty. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Wenger also had strong words about the penalty decision itself, specifically regarding the tackle by Pau Cubarsi.

“At normal speed, it was a great tackle. The defender won the ball, and that should have been the end of it. However, when slow-motion replays are used, things change, but this is not how football should be,” he explained.

Calls for change in the rules

Wenger’s criticism didn’t stop at the penalty. He also pointed out that Cubarsi was the first to reach the ball in the incident.

“Look at what Lautaro Martinez is doing. He knows that in this play he is not going to score and he is leaning more and more towards Cubarsi. He is clearly looking for the penalty, and for me, the referee has not made the right decision.

“Let people look at who is the first to play the ball. It’s Cubarsi, and the rest is done by Lautaro. For me, it is clearly not a penalty and you cannot whistle an action like that, which live already seemed clear to me that there was no foul,” he added.

Barcelona’s defeat was tough, but the conversations about refereeing and VAR highlight the need for improvements to ensure fairness in the game.