Enrique Cerezo , president of Atlético de Madrid, said Thursday, about the VAR, that "it takes away excitement from football and discredits the field referee", while criticizing the double standards of the Competition Committee in the sanctions of Dembelé (two games) and Diego Costa last season (eight games).

"I said it from day one, I don't like the VAR because it takes away the excitement of football . It may be more fair or less fair, but it takes away the excitement of football. Before we had a problem for many people, who was the referee ; and now we have two that are the arbitrator and the VAR, and we probably have a third party that are the operators of the VAR. But well, if people want the VAR, everyone is delighted with the VAR; I have no problem, "said the president in Las Rozas, where he was awarded the Blue Heart awards given by the local club.

" I do not like the VAR because it does not seem fair to me and because it discredits the referee that is arbitrating . The VAR we already had it with the moviolas and at that time what it was worth was what the referee said. If the VAR was an exact system and concrete and that when there is an offside a red line comes out and that it is seen that it is out of play it would seem perfect, but it is not so, "added Cerezo.

Cerezo compared the penalty to Frenchman Ousmane Dembélé for telling Mateu Lahoz "you are very bad", with the one imposed on Diego Costa last season: "I don't believe in the standards, the referees are usually fair. But then the Competition Committees. ... Diego Costa got eight games because I don't know what and others for one I don't know what they throw two, "he said.

"We are doing very well in LaLiga"

The rojiblanco president said his team is going "very well in the league." "Third to three points of the leader and I think we are phenomenal; I think we have no problem. Notice that we are third without scoring goals, imagine if we scored goals, we would have left . Without goals we will go third parties, if we had gotten more we would go first with a good advantage over the second, "he said before receiving the award for 'making Atlético de Madrid great.'

Cerezo spoke about Rodrigo Moreno's failed signing last summer: "I don't know if we would have scored more goals. Football is a game and it depends on who you get, it can go well or badly. For now, as Rodrigo is not with us, we have to conform as it is. We have magnificent scorers, that the day they enter a streak you will find out, "he said.

On the selection and the presence of a single player rojiblanco in the current call (Saúl Ñiguez) commented: " If I were the coach would take everyone . There is a coach to be respected."

As for the Frenchman Antoine Griezmann , who left the club for Barcelona this summer, he said: "Griezmann is a great player. He is a friend of mine and I wish that the managers and fans of Barcelona treat him the same as we did at Atlético de Madrid and be a happy uncle. "

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