What Referee Told Hansi Flick After VAR Ruled Out Lewandowski Goal vs Real Sociedad

• FC Barcelona stumbled to their second defeat in La Liga following their controversial defeat to Real Sociedad
• The Spanish La Liga leaders broke the deadlock early on but saw their joy shortlived after the goal was chalked off
• The contentious decision has reignited debate over the accuracy of VAR in critical matches and its impact on teams

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick confronted referee Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez at halftime after VAR controversially disallowed Robert Lewandowski’s first-half goal during Barcelona’s 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Lewandowski appeared to open the scoring for Barcelona in the 15th minute, finishing a play set up by Frenkie de Jong.

However, VAR ruled him offside by the narrowest of margins, with his toes allegedly ahead of the line.

Subsequent replays showed that Lewandowski was actually behind former West Ham defender Nayef Aguerd, suggesting VAR had mistakenly identified the Barcelona striker as offside due to an error in the semi-automated offside system.

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Barcelona star cries after disallowed goal in Real Sociedad loss

The decision, which many fans considered a legitimate goal, led to widespread frustration on social media.

At halftime, Flick sought an explanation from Fernandez. The referee, however, stated that VAR’s decision was beyond his control, reportedly telling Flick:

“It was out of my hands after VAR ruled it offside.”

On ITV’s broadcast, journalist Guillem Balague added context:

“The referee seemed to say, ‘What would you want me to do? VAR called it.’ He also implied that if this had favoured Barcelona, there would be no complaints.”

Real Sociedad ultimately secured the game’s only goal through Shiraldo Becker in the 33rd minute, climbing to eighth place in La Liga.

Despite the controversial loss, Barcelona remains at the top of the standings and will shift focus to their upcoming matches against Celta Vigo in La Liga and Brest in the Champions League.

Why Lewandowski's goal was disallowed

In an earlier report, YEN.com.gh explained the controversy surrounding Robert Lewandowski’s disallowed goal for Barcelona against Real Sociedad.

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The reason Lewandowski's goal was ruled offside against Real Sociedad explained

Broadcast footage suggested that Lewandowski appeared to be onside; however, an error occurred when the system mistakenly identified Sociedad defender Nayef Aguerd’s foot as Lewandowski’s.

This led to the offside line being inaccurately drawn from Lewandowski’s position, ultimately resulting in the offside ruling based on Aguerd’s placement.

Fans name Barcelona's best player so far

In a related report, YEN.com.gh highlighted that fans are hailing one of Barcelona’s forwards as the club’s standout player of the season thus far.

Notably, this star forward has become the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to achieve double figures in both goals and assists, underscoring his crucial role in Barcelona's dynamic front line.

Source: AFP