La Liga President Javier Tebas said that the league "is expected to be using video referees" in '18, according to the AP. Tebas spoke on Monday "following widespread criticism of a mistake that cost Barcelona a goal" on Sunday. The league initially said that it would "not comment on the missed call in Barcelona's 1-1 draw at Real Betis," but Tebas later said that video refereeing "will be implemented" as soon as it is "fully approved" by FIFA. Tebas: "We have always defended the use of technology in soccer and in this case we believe that video referees is the most advanced option." He added that video referees "would be favored over the goal-line technology that is in place in other European leagues." Tebas said that "systems such as Hawkeye were too expensive to be used only a few times each year." He said, "This year there were three other similar cases and nobody said much about it. Maybe people are making such a big deal this time because the ball went in by a big margin." (AP, 1/30). The EP reported Spanish Minister of Education, Culture & Sport Iñigo Méndez de Vigo is "in favor" of the use of new technology in football. He said, "I am in favor [of new technology] because when questions are resolved poorly it provokes enormous reactions" (EP, 1/31).
