Following their 2-3 loss to Real Madrid in La Liga’s 32nd round, coach Xavi and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen criticized the absence of Goal-line technology in Spain.
The controversial moment came in the 28th minute when Raphinha took a corner from the right, and Lamine Yamal’s backheel was stopped by goalkeeper Andriy Lunin right on the goal line. Since La Liga doesn’t employ Goal-line technology to determine whether the ball crossed the line or not, VAR reviewed the incident from multiple angles and confirmed no goal for the visiting team.
“Words can’t describe what happened on the goal line,” Ter Stegen said after the match. “It’s embarrassing for football. There’s so much money in this sport, yet it’s not being used for what’s crucial. I don’t understand why La Liga doesn’t implement the technology like other leagues do.”
Xavi echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing that the loss to Real Madrid was a great injustice. “I completely agree with Ter Stegen,” the Spanish coach said. “It’s a disgrace not to have Goal-line technology. If we want to call this the best league in the world, we need this technology.”
Xavi admitted the possibility of facing disciplinary action for his strong remarks but believed the footage of the incident was clear. “I said before the match that the referees wouldn’t be focused and make accurate decisions. In the end, neither happened,” the 44-year-old coach continued sarcastically.
According to El Larguero, La Liga remains the only top European league this season not to use Goal-line technology due to president Javier Tebas’ refusal to pay $3.2 million for it. After receiving criticism from Barca fans, Tebas posted on social media highlighting errors in technology usage on the field with the message: “No comment.”
At the Bernabeu on April 21st, Barca took the lead twice through Andreas Christensen and Fermin Lopez, but Real equalized with a penalty from Vinicius and a header from Lucas Vazquez. In injury time, Jude Bellingham scored the decisive goal, sealing a 3-2 victory for Real Madrid.
Xavi was also unhappy with Vinicius’ goal. In that incident, Vazquez was fouled by Joao Cancelo, resulting in a penalty for Real. On the sidelines, Xavi made a gesture implying that Vazquez dived, but VAR did not change the on-field decision.
In contrast to Xavi’s view, coach Carlo Ancelotti praised the refereeing team for making the right calls, noting that the ball hadn’t crossed the line in Yamal’s backheel and Vazquez’s foul was clear. “I don’t want to comment on what Xavi thinks; everyone has their own opinion,” the Italian coach expressed. “I prefer to talk about the game itself, which was balanced, competitive, and had beautiful moments from both teams. In the end, with the last drop of energy, we won.”
The 3-2 win widened Real’s lead over Barca to 11 points and moved them closer to extending their La Liga title record to 36 times. Ancelotti warned Real not to get complacent despite their significant advantage, looking ahead to the Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich.