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| Unlike other top leagues in Europe, La Liga does not have goal-line technology available because it is considered too expensive to be put in place |
Video referees are expected to be used in Spanish football by the 2018-19 season when they are fully approved by FIFA, La Liga president Javier Tebas has said.
Tebas was speaking after Sundayโs 1-1 draw between Barcelona and Real Betis, a game in which champions Barca appeared to have been denied a clear goal.
Video replays showed that after Betisโ Cristiano Piccini diverted Aleix Vidalโs pass towards goal the ball crossed the line by around a metre before defender Aissi Mandi slid in and scrambled the it away.
โThe tests are already underway. We have been working on video referees for the last eight months,โ Tebas told El Pais.
โWe will be testing it from next season in La Liga,โ he added.
โIf FIFA finally approve it, we will start using it from July 2018.โ
Footballโs law-making body IFAB approved last March a two-year trial of the video assistant referee (VAR) system with access to replays to help match officials review key decisions.
Unlike other top leagues in Europe, La Liga does not have goal-line technology available because it is considered too expensive to be put in place.
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique believes the officials need assistance.
โThe referees need help, whether itโs with cameras or whatever, for decisions that favour us or go against us,โ he said. โThe technology can help us. Iโve already said that before.โ
Not everyone, however, is in favour of the technology.
โIโm against video refereeing because it would break the essence of what football is,โ Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo told Marca.
โReferees make mistakes and get it right. There are times that those go in favour and others were they go against. I donโt see a problem with this.โ
