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In an interview leading up to Atletico Madrid's match against Celta Vigo, Diego Simeone surprisingly came to the defence of Real Madrid and claimed that the controversies surrounding the VAR technology are blown out of proportion.
Simeone has been a staunch supporter of VAR in the past and stood by his opinions. The Argentine manager's interview will come as a pleasant surprise to Real Madrid fans who have grown accustomed to listening to rants from the Argentine tactician.
Simeone has often been vocal in his opposition to Real Madrid's clout in Spanish football and his opinions on the recent VAR controversy have revealed that he is not afraid to speak his mind.
Real Madrid has won a number of penalties due to VAR in the recent past and several prominent personalities from Barcelona and Bilbao have been questioning the usage of the technology over the past few days.
Also Read: Real Madrid heavily favoured by VAR decisions, claims former Barcelona defender Dani Alves
Diego Simeone attributes luck with VAR to Real Madrid's style of play
According to Diego Simeone, Real Madrid is not being overtly favoured by the video assistant referee. The Argentine manager has claimed that Real Madrid's attacking style of play and the side's ability to put the ball into the penalty area has resulted in a disproportionate number of penalties.
"If teams are given more penalties it is because they attack more, like Real Madrid. The VAR exposes everything."
Real Madrid was awarded a penalty in a hard-fought match against Athletic Bilbao yesterday after Dani Garcia clashed with Marcelo in the penalty area. The referee allowed play to continue before VAR revealed a blatant foul by Garcia on the Real Madrid full-back.
Real Madrid captain stepped up to score a crucial penalty and put Los Blancos in the driver's seat in the La Liga title race. Several opponents, including Athletic Bilbao talisman Iker Muniain and a few former Barcelona players, pointed out after the match that justice was not served to Athletic Bilbao after the match.
Sergio Ramos caught Athletic Bilbao forward Raul Garcia with his foot in an off-the-ball incident but VAR failed to award the home side a penalty. Simeone, however, claimed that the controversy surrounding VAR is unnecessary.
"I think the VAR exposes what we can all see. The referee sees it, the people see it, we review it. Then there is a person who decides. Now everything is clear to us. It shows. We are all more exposed."
Real Madrid is currently 4 points clear at the top of the La Liga table and with only four fixtures left in the season, Barcelona is unlikely to present a serious threat to Real Madrid's title aspirations.
Zinedine Zidane has overseen some drastic changes in Real Madrid's setup and the side is currently on track to become a potent force in Europe.
