The controversial topic of VAR took over the headlines in the papers again this weekend.
With controversies involving big name sides such as Manchester United and Chelsea, the anger of supporters increased towards the incompetence of the refereeing and the technology.
But why is VAR in English football so frowned upon compared to the use in international competitions and leagues.
Former head of PGMOL and ex referee Keith Hackett believes there is not enough honesty and transparency from the VAR operators.
“Looking at the Man United game, the referee made the right decision, and VAR ruined that..”
“There needs to be transparency and honesty rather than trying to leave a referee exposed.”
Hackett compared this to international football and in particular the French division.
Clément Turpin is a French football referee. He has been a FIFA listed referee since 2010, and an UEFA Elite group referee since 2012. He is known for his consistency and respect earned by players.
Hackett was in full praise of Turpin.
“I was watching him (Turpin) ref last week, and thought who in England is as good as he is?”
“The brutal answer is no-one.”
The semi automated offside technology is something growing in the game. It has been announced that semi-automated offside technology will be used in English domestic football for the first time during the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The technology was successfully used at the Qatar world cup in 2022, and is currently being used in Serie A and La Liga, as well as the Champions League.
The technology focuses on bringing quicker and more accurate decisions, something Hackett would love to see in the English Premier League.
“VAR was brought in to improve the standard of decision making accuracy, why would we not bring in the already successful Semi automated.”
“The anticipation and wait the fans go through is killing the sport, fans have to wait three or four minutes to fully celebrate a goal, which is killing the experience.”
The opinions of VAR will continue to be divided, however one thing everyone can agree on, is that it is a huge reason the experience of watching a game is declining.
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