Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has blamed VAR for his team’s loss in the Clasico on Saturday.

The Catalans lost 3-1 at home to rivals Real Madrid who scored their second goal from the spot after a VAR review.

Sergio Ramos was awarded a penalty midway through the second half when his shirt was tugged by Barca defender Clement Lenglet. He converted the kick as his side went on to win the encounter.

Barca, on the other end, had two penalty appeals turned down when Lionel Messi went down from a challenge by Raphael Varane in the first half and when the ball bounced off the arm of Varane in the second.

Neither incident was reviewed by the referee on the pitchside monitor.

“I don’t understand VAR, I think it is only used to make decisions against Barca,” Koeman told a news conference.

“You always get shirt tugs like that in the area and I think Ramos makes a foul on Lenglet first. There’s a tug of the shirt, but not enough to make him fall behind as he did… For me, it’s not a penalty.

“We have had five matches and (VAR) has only been used to go against Barca. It’s never gone our way.”-Soccer 24