It has been almost a decade since VAR was introduced in the Spanish top flight, but the controversies simply do not seem to stop.
Clubs have constantly debated the inconsistencies of decisions made using technology and whether it actually adds something positive to the game.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid have had 42 goals overturned by VAR since the technology was introduced in La Liga, more than any other club in the competition.
Madrid lead the ranking by a considerable margin, with Barcelona having just 19 goals disallowed through technological intervention.
Real Madrid comfortably lead VAR statistics
Since VAR’s introduction in the 2018-19 season, referees have initially awarded 42 Madrid goals that were subsequently ruled out following video reviews.
Atletico Madrid and Villarreal are joint second with 22 each, followed by Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad and Sevilla with 20 apiece.
Vinicius thought he had scored against Villarreal only for it to be chalked off after a VAR review. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Barcelona sit seventh with 19, meaning Madrid have experienced 23 more VAR goal reversals than their biggest rivals.
The figures cover eight completed seasons and the beginning of the current campaign. Madrid’s latest disallowed goal came during Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Villarreal.
Vinicius Junior appeared to double the hosts’ advantage, but VAR identified an earlier incident in the same move in which the Brazilian pulled defender Nathan Saliba’s hair.
Referee Isidro Diaz de Mera reviewed the footage on the pitchside monitor, cancelled the goal and sent Vinicius off.
The numbers need greater context
The numbers are striking, but they do not necessarily tell the complete story about Real Madrid or the quality of Spanish refereeing.
One important factor to consider when interpreting these numbers is Los Blancos’ attacking style.
Over recent seasons, Madrid have frequently relied on quick transitions, exploiting space behind opposition defences through explosive forwards such as Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo.
Players making repeated runs beyond the defensive line are naturally more exposed to marginal offside decisions, particularly when attacks depend on perfectly timed passes at high speed.
That does not mean every disallowed Madrid goal involved offside. However, the team’s direct attacking approach offers a plausible explanation for why such situations might arise more frequently.
What Madrid are asking for is consistency across refereeing decisions. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Madrid also create numerous attacking opportunities, making raw totals less informative without comparing disallowed goals against total goals scored and the reasons behind each VAR intervention.
VAR corrections do not settle Madrid’s refereeing concerns
These VAR decisions also do not answer Madrid’s growing concerns with the consistency of refereeing decisions in La Liga.
Madrid’s complaints concern the application of VAR in different games under similar circumstances, not simply the merits of individual decisions.
The Villarreal incident offers a clear example of VAR correcting an initial decision, but it does not explain why it did not punish Stole Dimitrievski in a similar situation against Vinicius.
There is a lot that needs to be addressed in La Liga, both in terms of on-field refereeing and the use of VAR.
It remains to be seen whether Madrid’s repeated complaints force the federation to improve the standards in La Liga and how the situation pans out through the course of the season.