Valencia director rips into match officials, VAR after 2-0 loss sees club battling relegation

Valencia director Javier Solis launched an unfiltered tirade against the refereeing in La Liga following his club’s 2-0 loss to Sevilla on Sunday night.

Two second-half goals from Loic Bade and Suso consigned the ailing hosts to another defeat. Valencia now find themselves three points adrift and in the relegation zone.

However, the first goal on the night was not without controversy. Los Che feel hard done by as the goal scorer, Bade, appeared to trip Valencia’s Yunus Musah. Just minutes later, the home side felt they should have had a penalty for handball, too.

Neither decision went Valencia’s way after consulting VAR.

Then, to add insult to injury, VAR intervened to overturn a penalty for Los Che in the last ten minutes. A late red card for Valencia’s Ilaix Moriba did little to lighten the mood as well.

Javier Solis was not particularly pleased with the officiating in his post-match comments.

“We left absolutely disgusted, absolutely p****d off,” started Solis, via DAZN. “I think we have experienced a real disgrace with the refereeing. Not only the penalty that they swiped from us, but it has also been a separate robbery in slow motion because VAR has been involved.

“The referee has gone to see it and with all the arrogance in the world, he was explaining to our captain the opponent’s hand position.

“We are absolutely fed up, it stinks,” he added. “Not only the second action that could get us back into the game but the first. There is a trip on Yunus [Musah]. I think that when the referee gets home and sees the images, it will be difficult for him to sleep.

“It is an embarrassment written in capital letters.”

Valencia director laments La Liga refereeing

But the Valencia exec did not stop there. He also mentioned the injustices that he feels the club has endured throughout the campaign.

“We’re absolutely upset, disgusted even. We do not deserve the refereeing that we are suffering this season,” fumed Solis. “I think I count that there are 17 serious VAR failures [against Valencia].

“The team is down; you cannot just criticize the referees. But what we’ve seen on the field is a disgrace. The review of the images, and the referee’s position. That’s handball. It’s a robbery, a real robbery.”

No matter their anger, the defeat leaves Valencia eighteenth in La Liga. They are three points adrift of Almeria above them, with both clubs having nine games left.

So, what does Los Che’s run-in look like?

Looking at Valencia’s relegation battle

Valencia will hope for an immediate response next weekend as they face bottom-side Elche. Following this, a midweek match vs Real Valladolid should provide some hope for points. Similarly, beating fellow strugglers Cadiz at the end of April could prove a real six-pointer.

May brings a much trickier set of fixtures, unfortunately. Firstly, Los Che host Villarreal on 3 May, who are fighting for the European spots. A trip to Celta Vigo is not easy either, as they are undefeated in their last seven matches.

One week later, Valencia host Real Madrid – another difficult game. Shortly after, Mallorca is a winnable fixture before they host fellow relegation candidates Espanyol. Europe-chasing Real Betis is then a tricky fixture to negotiate on the final day.

If their La Liga status really does come down to the wire, the Espanyol match could truly turn into a winner-takes-all situation.

When looking at the form guide, Valencia will need wins against those around them. Thus, the club should expect three points against Elche, Cadiz, and Espanyol. Additionally, given Mallorca’s six-game winless streak, points could be available there too.

Valencia may be on the back foot – but they still have a strong chance to stay up. The La Liga relegation race certainly has many more twists to take before the end of the season.

Featured image credit: Getty