La Liga set to introduce video technology from next season

La Liga is set to introduce VAR technology from next season

La Liga is set to introduce video assistant referee (VAR) technology from next season, according to the president of the Spanish football federation.

Juan Luis Larrea said that he expects La Liga to follow Serie A and the Bundesliga by introducing VAR, from the beginning of the 2018-19 season.

When asked about the introduction of the technology by Spanish radio station Cadena SER, Larrea said: "For next season. That is our intention.

"Technology is now coming into football and you have to accept it."

Larrea added that tests would be carried out in over 70 matches before the technology was rolled out across La Liga.

Juan Luis Larrea (centre), president of the Spanish football federation, says people have to 'accept' technology

VAR - which is used to review goals, red cards, penalties and cases of mistaken identity - has been tested across the world, in countries including Australia, Brazil and the Netherlands.

However, it has not been universally popular since being introduced in Italy.

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri joked that Serie A "will become like baseball in the United States, we stay 10 hours at the stadium eating peanuts".

Gianluigi Buffon added to the criticism, saying that VAR was "making the game ugly".

La Liga is currently the only one of Europe's top five leagues not to even have goal-line technology, with the league's president saying it is too expensive.