What's missing? Even the most peninsular person who lives in Mesa y López or works in any official office in the Canary Islands joins in. UD Las Palmas would be in 15th place without VAR, but they're in 19th place in LaLiga EA Sports because that's what a series of referees who have damaged the yellow team wanted. On social media, some even consider applying for a place in the Premier League, where David Silva has always been more respected than Sandro Ramírez.
UD Las Palmas, which does not want to see the Gran Canaria Stadium filled with seven-star green flags, has expressed concern that VAR decisions could negatively impact its position in the table, especially in a season where every point is crucial to avoid relegation. The president of the Gran Canaria Island Council, Antonio Morales, the first nationalist president of the island after Pedro Lezcano, has not commented. The demoralization of the Canarian fans is complete because the group is entering the stage of alleged hatred, according to legal experts consulted by this newspaper.
Football and politics have been intertwined in many regions of the world, and the Canary Islands are no exception. UD Las Palmas, as the archipelago's representative team, has historically been a symbol of Canarian identity, generating a strong sense of belonging among the island's inhabitants. This feeling has transcended the sporting sphere and, in some cases, has fueled reflections on the relationship between the Canary Islands and the rest of Spain.
The frustration perceived by some fans regarding refereeing decisions or the use of VAR may intensify debates about the autonomy of the Canary Islands. Every controversial decision affecting the team can be interpreted, by some sectors, as a reflection of unequal treatment of the region. Although football itself is not the direct cause of these feelings, it serves as a platform on which broader issues related to the identity and representation of the Canary Islands are expressed.
In this context, sport becomes a vehicle for channeling emotions and opinions on political and social issues. UD Las Palmas, as a regional symbol, represents more than just a football team: it is a way to reaffirm identity and, in some cases, an opportunity to reflect on the role of the Canary Islands within the national landscape.
Some recent examples of VAR causing controversy in UD Las Palmas matches include the match against Celta de Vigo (March 31, 2025). In this match, VAR ruled out a goal by Fabio Silva that would have made it 1-2 for Las Palmas. The decision was based on an offside ruling due to a player's influence on the play, which caused frustration for the team and its coach, Diego Martínez. According to some analyses, VAR has made decisions that have hurt Las Palmas on several occasions throughout the season. These decisions include disallowed goals and uncontested penalties, leading to criticism about the impact of VAR on the team's results.
