La Liga and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) have reached an agreement to release audio from the conversations between referees and their counterparts in the VAR booth, starting in early 2024.
A presss release put out by both details that the new measures will come into place from the second round of La Liga action next calendar year, affecting games from the 12th to the 15th of January. The new measures will also be in place for the Spanish Supercup, which begins on the 10th of January with a clash between Real Madrid and Atletico madrid.
The audio from decisions that are reviewed will only be released after the weekend action has been completed, rather than in live time, as is the case in other sports. Referees have come in for harsh criticism this season and in recent years in La Liga, despite the Head of the Referees Technical Committee (CTA) Luis Medina Cantalejo claiming that they are pleased with the level of refereeing. The move has been made in order to improve the fan experience and the comprehension of refereeing decisions going forward.
It seems ripe to become another talking point in Spain. It could well allow fans to empathise with referees on the whole, but most fans are reluctant to do so whenever they feel they have been wronged.
