Leaked VAR Comments Spark Outrage as “Menos Mal” Remark Adds Fuel to Refereeing Debate
Barcelona’s dramatic 4-3 El Clásico victory over Real Madrid has been overshadowed by explosive audio from the VAR room, leaving the club and its fans furious over what they see as biased officiating.
The controversy centers on three key moments in Sunday’s thriller at Montjuïc, where Barça fought back from 2-0 down to secure a crucial win. But post-match celebrations turned to anger after leaked recordings revealed VAR officials appearing to celebrate a disallowed Barcelona goal with the phrase “menos mal”—translated as “thank goodness.”
The remark came after Fermín López’s potential fifth goal was ruled out for handball—a decision he himself admitted was correct. However, the tone of the VAR exchange has sparked accusations of unprofessionalism. “Listen to me, Alex, we just detected a hand, okay? Come and see it, please,” one official is heard saying before the contentious “thank goodness” comment.
Barcelona had already felt aggrieved by two earlier incidents—Lamine Yamal’s apparent foul in the buildup to a Madrid goal and a denied penalty shout for Aurélien Tchouaméni’s handball. VAR official Juan Martínez Munuera was heard downplaying the latter, saying, “We don’t have many more powerful cameras,” while referee Hernández Hernández dismissed the appeal with, “For me, it’s not a penalty.”
The fallout comes just days after Barça’s Champions League exit to Inter Milan, where president Joan Laporta blamed refereeing decisions for their semifinal heartbreak. While Sunday’s win softened the blow, SPORT journalist Toni Juanmartí insists the club should “demand an explanation” from Spanish football authorities over the VAR remarks.
Despite the drama, Hansi Flick’s young squad showed remarkable resilience, overturning an early Mbappé brace to seize control of La Liga’s title race. But as the audio leak dominates headlines, the victory’s aftertaste is bittersweet—another chapter in Barça’s ongoing feud with refereeing standards.
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