"We are worried. In football, especially in La Liga, it is about improving. In our case, we have recovered the injured and we want to stay alive in the competitions to be able to win them," Barcelona president Joan Laporta said at the Mundo Deportivo gala.
"We were obviously hoping for a stumble from our rivals to help us close the gap. It could have happened on Sunday but in a very clear way that match at the Bernabeu was re-refereed by the VAR and all the decisions that were made were contrary to those that the referee had made.
"I believe that the VAR, which is an instrument that comes to help referees, is becoming, due to the misuse that is being made of it, a problem. And I say it and I don't like to play victimhood, but it is a commitment that we have with justice and sportsmanship. It is a commitment that the club has when it comes to recognizing the complicated job that referees have.
"For me, the role of referee is the most difficult in the world of football after scoring goals, if you ask me. Man, we are seeing that an instrument that had to help them, the VAR, is not helping them and has been kidnapped.
"VAR has been misused based on the pressure that our rival [Real Madrid] are exerting continuously and constantly, which is no longer punctual but from now on. These pressures have been taking place for a long time and are bearing fruit. Because the decisions are all favourable to this team," Laporta said.
The Spanish Football Committee have determined that the referee for the game between Real Madrid and Almeria made considerable errors in his decision but those decisions were influenced by VAR.
Barcelona reportedly believe they would be higher up the league table if VAR decisions have gone in their favour as is the case with Real Madrid.
