Atletico Madrid chief 'ashamed' of La Liga refereeing after hearing VAR recordings on decision to overturn Barcelona red card

The atmosphere at the Wanda Metropolitano is tense following a series of controversial decisions in key matches against Real Madrid and Barcelona. Atletico's management reportedly questioned the integrity of the technical process after witnessing a series of perceived injustices.

The primary source of the current outrage stems from an incident involving Barcelona defender Gerard Martin. After a high tackle on Thiago Almada, Busquets Ferrer initially showed him a straight red card, but after Melero Lopez intervened and advised the on-field referee, it was reduced to a yellow card. Los Rojiblancos ultimately lost Saturday's La Liga clash 2-1.

Marin did not hold back when discussing the audio released from the VAR room, suggesting the technology is being used to influence referees rather than simply correcting clear errors. He believes the current system undermines the authority of the official on the pitch.

"When we see the images and hear the audio shared by the Federation, all we can do is feel ashamed,"  Marin stated, as quoted by Marca. "It’s unacceptable that they let us hear their comments, which are completely contrary to how VAR should function correctly, and nothing happens. Referees have the same right to make mistakes as players, coaches, and managers, but mistakes in the game are just that: mistakes. It’s another thing entirely when a referee in the VAR booth influences the main referee when he’s judging a play.

"The on-field referee must be responsible and make decisions by interpreting the intentions of each player. VAR should only intervene to correct uninterpretable errors, not to decide in place of the main referee. It’s not normal that different decisions are made for identical plays, that the criteria change, and that we don’t know what to expect. It’s happened to us in the last two matchdays. It makes no sense."

Marin wasn't the only one expressing his frustration. Atleti player Robin Le Normand also admitted to being upset with the referee's response to the incident. He said: "Now they're going to say it wasn't a red card, but everyone who understands football knows it was. If I did that, it would almost certainly be a red. We saw it recently in the Betis-Rayo Vallecano match, and the CTA (Technical Committee of Referees) ruled it a red. I don't know what happened today with the same action. He reviews it and sees it's dangerous. I don't understand it either.

"Today, you couldn't talk to anyone, not even the captain. Every time something happened, he handed out a yellow card and raised the bar for the game instead of lowering it. Everyone can make mistakes, and today I think he made one. Everyone saw it. Today, it was the little things that affected the game. It was the little things that hurt us."

This defeat means Atleti failed to reach the top three in La Liga, falling just one point behind Villarreal. Meanwhile, Barca remain at the top of the table, seven points ahead of Real Madrid, who suffered a defeat to Mallorca over the weekend. Diego Simeone's Atletico side will be looking for revenge in their next match, when they face Barcelona again, but this time in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.