Referees go to battle over controversial ‘secret VAR room’ – ‘There are two rooms’

Former referee Xavier Estrada Fernandez has raised further suspicions about officiating in Spain, as the country pays close attention to the bribery charges facing Barcelona in the Negreira case.

Estrada Fernandez, who has been to battle with the RFEF and CTA (Technical Committee for Referee) has claimed that there is an adjacent secret room next to the VAR room, which has contact with the actual VAR room.

“There are two rooms. A room for the technicians and operators, from Hawk Eye, who are the technicians and operators of the VAR. And an operations room that is not reflected in the statutes of the Federation, nor in the VAR protocol nor in our employment contracts.”

Estrada was also one of the first to submit a legal complaint about the Negreira case. He also claims refereeing chiefs Alberto Undiano Mallenco, Carlos Velasco Carballo and Head of VAR Carlos Clos Gomez were in that room during Clasicos.

“That there have been communications between the two rooms is clear. We were told that all the audio is recorded, except for the one that comes from the operating room to the VAR referee.”

The RFEF have since emitted a statement denying the existence of a secret room – they say that there are seven VAR rooms and two adjacent rooms for technicians, all of which has been explained and shown to clubs and officials.

Meanwhile Clos Gomez was quick to respond, telling Marca that Estrada was dishonest.

“Everything he has said is a lie. And, the worst of all, is that he knows it. He is insinuating that the referees are given instructions. And, since he has been a referee, we assume that he has been given instructions. I don’t understand why he hasn’t gone to a police station to report it. He puts everyone under suspicion when he knows it’s a lie.”

He would go on to claim that there was no contact between the two rooms, other than from technicians to send images to the VAR room.

“I don’t know what he wants or what he’s looking for. But he’s proving not to be a good person. Everything he says is a lie. That room is there and everyone knows it.”

Estrada has claimed that others do not speak out as they are legally bound by their contracts, but so far his voice is a lone one in this case.