Addressing Unsportsmanlike Conduct in La Liga

As we reach the latter part of the La Liga season, successfully navigating the refereeing in the Supercopa held in Arabia, we find ourselves in a critical phase where every point is vital for teams at both ends of the table. In the pursuit of points, we are witnessing unsportsmanlike behavior from players that tarnishes Spanish football. While we continue to eliminate violent tackles, which referees are correctly penalizing, greater courage and assertiveness are needed from them to issue red cards without relying solely on VAR, as their position on the field often allows for accurate decision-making.

Among the most detrimental unsportsmanlike actions are players simulating fouls or assaults, which often receive tacit approval from referees and, of course, from the VAR room. In these challenging situations, VAR should serve as an ideal filter for referees. Recently, simulating a foul or penalty has become a trend, with players fully aware that they can provoke contact to avoid yellow cards and potentially deceive referees into awarding penalties.

Referees play a crucial role in protecting the integrity of football and imposing disciplinary measures against deceitful players. The world’s best league requires referees with strong personalities and firmer disciplinary measures to curb these unsportsmanlike behaviors that undermine the spirit of competition. Initially, the introduction of VAR made players aware of being monitored, thereby reducing unsportsmanlike actions as they understood that their misconduct could be exposed. However, this season, following the new CTA’s misguided instructions to intervene less frequently with VAR in an attempt to improve last year’s intervention statistics, the pitch has become an ideal stage for dishonest players to thrive, causing irreparable harm to the sport.

Refereeing cannot swim against the current of football’s demands. This season has seen an increase in trickery and deceit among certain players, and referees must act with decisiveness and strictness to eliminate simulation from Spanish football. They cannot, and should not, be complicit with dishonest players. The new CTA must be urged to engage in self-criticism and apply common sense, ensuring that VAR interventions are fair and necessary to hold accountable clearly unsportsmanlike actions, allowing us to enjoy a progressively fairer competition.