LaLiga Chaos: Ex-Liverpool Player Smashes VAR Screen, Benitez’s Physics Rant
In the story of Rafael Benitez’s homecoming to Spain with Celta Vigo, a peculiar narrative has emerged. It’s a tale marked by refereeing controversies, a club struggling near the relegation zone, and a recurring theme of VAR drama that hangs over them like a persistent specter.
Celta Vigo’s current season paints a bleak picture, residing in the relegation zone with only a single victory in twelve matches. However, their journey transcends mere statistics, as it’s a narrative characterized by the enigmatic role of VAR technology, seemingly casting an eerie shadow over every match they play.
Their recent clash with Sevilla, filled with ups and downs, epitomizes their VAR-infused drama. Celta Vigo managed to secure a precious lead, but their hopes were dampened when a player received a red card, reducing their numbers. In the eleventh hour, Youssef En-Nesyri, akin to a harbinger of fate, equalized the score. Yet, the climax of this dramatic spectacle played out in the dying moments of the game.
In the final minutes of stoppage time, a tangle of legs in the penalty box involving Anastasios Douvikas and Jesus Navas appeared to suggest a shirt pull, prompting the referee, Alejandro Hernandez, to point to the penalty spot. But then, in a sudden twist, Hernandez, as if struck by a moment of enlightenment, chose to consult his pitch-side screen. With that, the penalty was rescinded, and the match was brought to an abrupt end. The Baliados stadium erupted into a chorus of frustration and anger.
É o mellor pic.twitter.com/CoOPvZLAf1
— sergio.fv (@sergiorccv1923) November 4, 2023
Among the aggrieved, star striker Iago Aspas, who had previously plied his trade at Anfield, couldn’t contain his exasperation. He seized the VAR monitor and flung it to the ground, an act of defiance against the unseen forces that had conspired against his team once more.
In the aftermath of the game, Benitez, the passionate leader of Celta Vigo, embarked on an extraordinary post-match rant, invoking the laws of physics in a bid to rationalize the seemingly irrational decisions made by VAR.
“Force equals mass times acceleration,” he began, as if attempting to decode the enigmatic VAR enigma. “How much force is needed to bring down a person? Ten newtons? Eleven newtons? Perhaps a physicist can enlighten us.”
Benitez’s impassioned tirade is just one chapter in a saga of VAR-induced controversies. In a previous clash against high-flying Girona, they had a potential match-winning goal disallowed due to a push on the goalkeeper, Paulo Gazzaniga, leaving Benitez bewildered.
Nonetheless, the loyal Celta Vigo supporters remain steadfast in their backing. In a message of unity and solidarity, the club stated, “On nights like this, we can only say: this competition deserves much more. THERE IS NOTHING that can be compared to the togetherness of this team, of this club, of Celtismo.”
In this ongoing drama, Celta Vigo finds itself at the heart of a VAR-fueled whirlwind, with Rafael Benitez as their impassioned guide through the turbulent storm.