Unai Emery claims VAR would have stopped Barcelona’s 2017 Comeback

February 11, 2020

Almost three years have passed since it happened but it seems Unai Emery still isn’t over Barcelona’s incredible Remontada against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2017 Champions League last 16.

PSG went into the second leg of that tie 4-0 up and almost certain to progress to the quarter-final, only for Barça to somehow turn it around with a stunning 6-1 victory at Camp Nou in the second leg.

But former PSG boss Emery claims it would never have happened were it not for poor refereeing which VAR would have rectified.

“I won Ligue 1, and four domestic cups, as well as two Trophee des Champions titles,” the Spaniard told France Football.

“Our ultimate objective was the Champions League, and in the first year (2016-17), against Barcelona in the round of 16, we produced a very impressive first leg performance.

“In the second leg, we were eliminated because VAR did not yet exist. We were clearly eliminated by refereeing decisions.”

The following year, PSG were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid, and Emery reckons the referee was at fault on that occasion too.

“In my second year, against Real, we lost to a team that won three titles in a row,” he added.

“However, again, in the first leg, we can also point to the refereeing.

“Overall, we lost for the first time because of refereeing decisions, and then to the eventual winners.”