La Liga: Barcelona boss Luis Enrique demands goal line technology after Real Betis blunder

Madrid: Barcelona coach Luis Enrique stressed his desire for Spanish football to embrace video technology in crucial refereeing decisions on Wednesday, whilst league chiefs expect trials to take place from next season.

Barca were denied a clear goal in Sunday’s controversial 1-1 draw at Real Betis when referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez failed to see the ball had crossed the Betis goal line and was unaided as, unlike Europe’s other major leagues, La Liga doesn’t have goal line technology.

“I think we have to differentiate between video refereeing which means re-refereeing many things and I am not in favour of…and helping the referees with technology in key moments of the game,” said Enrique ahead of his side’s Copa del Rey semi-final, first leg at Atletico Madrid.

“A ball over the line or disallowed goal or red card offence…these are the plays where the referees need help and would only lose two or three seconds to check and clarify.”

La Liga president Javier Tebas has previously dismissed the use of Hawk-Eye technology used for goal line incidents in other leagues on cost grounds and believes the type of video refereeing, trialed by FIFA at December’s Club World Cup, is a cheaper and more practical resource for the future.

“We have always defended the use of technology in football and in this case we believe video refereeing is the most advanced form,” Tebas said on Monday.

“The cost was almost €4.5 million. Every year there are seven or eight incidents like this and it seemed to us a fortune when there are other (technologies) in the market at a far lower cost.

“In Spain, we have to agree with the referees’ committee and we have already communicated to them that next year there will be trials like there are in the Bundesliga or Premier League.”

And Tebas believes all the major leagues will move towards a system of video refereeing for controversial incidents by 2018 should FIFA approve.

“By July 2018 if FIFA have already definitively approved it we will install (video refereeing),” added Tebas.

“Given how the trials are going by July 2018 there will be video refereeing in all professional leagues.”