VAR can help improve football but it is not being used properly, asserts Quique Setien

In a gritty game at Anoeta, Real Madrid somehow managed to overcome a tough Real Sociedad in an overly controversial win against the Basque side. The Los Blancos scored just the two goals but the hosts were unhappy mainly because they had a goal ruled out for offside before Karim Benzema scored the winner. Further problems erupted after that with replays showing that the Frenchman handled the ball before scoring but the goal stood despite a VAR check.

The win allows Real Madrid to leap over Barcelona and take the lead in the race for the La Liga with them only ahead on their superior head-to-head record. The Catalan giants failed to get past a resilient Sevilla and were held to a goalless draw earlier in the weekend but Real Madrid’s win aggrieved Quique Setien as he admitted that VAR has not been used properly this season. The Barcelona boss also added that the technology can be used to improve football but it has to be used correctly.

"There are things that we cannot control and that do not depend on us. Everybody saw what happened in Anoeta and everyone will draw their own conclusions. It's understandable that we think why there are some actions that are reviewed, the referee himself reviews them and they don't do the same in other plays,” Setien said in his pre-match press conference.

“They do it on some matches and in some others (they don't). So you could really think that (VAR) is not being used correctly. We've been here for many years and this doesn't change. It's always the same, the controversy will always be there. VAR is a tool that can make us better, but we have to use it to have a clearer view of reality."