Service Provider: VAR Failed to Function Normally in First Half of Barça vs Rayo Vallecano Due to Technical Issue

During FC Barcelona’s 1-1 away draw against Rayo Vallecano, a malfunction in the VAR system prevented a review of Yamal’s first-half penalty, leaving the entire Rayo Vallecano team furious.

In the first half, Yamal converted a penalty kick after a collision with Chavarría, but Rayo Vallecano players were convinced this decision should be overturned. However, MEDIAPRO—the company responsible for the La Liga VAR system—confirmed after the match that the VAR technical system had failed to work properly in the first half.

In a statement, MEDIAPRO said: “Due to an undetermined technical issue, VAR services failed to operate normally during the first half of the match between Rayo Vallecano and FC Barcelona.

“Despite efforts by the entire technical operations team, the service could not be restored in the first half; however, it was restored and functioned normally in the second half.

“MEDIAPRO is working to identify the cause of the incident.”