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Tag: VAR

  • Mourinho blasts referee, VAR after Roma lose derby to Lazio

    Mourinho blasts referee, VAR after Roma lose derby to Lazio

    Jose Mourinho blamed the referee and VAR for AS Roma’s 3-2 defeat to rivals Lazio in Serie A on Sunday, saying his side were dominant in spite of the result.

    It was the Portuguese manager’s second loss since taking charge of the Italian side in the summer and Lazio led from the 10th minute until the final whistle.

    However, Mourinho was unhappy about a potential foul in the build-up to Lazio’s second goal, scored by former Roma winger Pedro after 19 minutes.

    He felt Lucas Leiva should have received a second booking after seeing Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini sent off against Udinese on Thursday.

    “Italian football has improved a lot. But unfortunately, the referee and VAR were not at the right level for this fantastic match,” Mourinho told reporters.

    “On the 2-0 goal it could have been 1-1, the referee and VAR made a mistake. This is too much.

    “The lack of a second yellow for Leiva is also important. It was a similar situation to Pellegrini, he got a red but today there was nothing.

    “We were the better team on the pitch. Obviously when you concede three goals, something has gone wrong, but the second and third were counter-attacks.

    “We tried, we dominated. We gave everything and put Lazio in difficulty,” Mourinho said.

    Roma, who are fourth in Serie A, face Zorya next in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday, before hosting Empoli in the league.

  • EPL introduces new VAR laws ahead of 2021/2022 season

    EPL introduces new VAR laws ahead of 2021/2022 season

    Premier League referees’ chief, Mike Riley, has confirmed that officials will cut down on soft penalties next season.

    New changes to (Video Assistant Referee) VAR offside could prevent 20 goals from being disallowed.

    Riley has held discussions with clubs, players, managers and the Football Supporters’ Association over the past few months to iron out on how matches should be refereed both on the pitch and in the VAR room.

    Premier League effects new changes to VAR ahead of 2021/2022 season

    A record 125 penalties (of which 29 came through VAR) were awarded last season, compared to 92 in 2019/2020 and 103 in 2018/2019.

    Many of these came from decisions where there was minimal contact between defender and attacker. Referees must now “consider the consequence and the motivation of the player.”

    Riley said: “Fundamentally we want the approach to be one that best allows the players to go out and express themselves, allows the Premier League games to flow and means the refereeing team, both as referee and as VAR, don’t intervene for trivial offences.

    “Let’s create a free-flowing game, where the threshold is slightly higher than it was last season.”

    At least 32 goals were ruled out for offside via VAR decisions last season. Riley admits 20 of the overall total would have stood using the new process for 2021/2022, which will copy that seen at Euro 2020.

    “On marginal offside, we’ve now effectively re-introduced the benefit of the doubt to the attacking player,” Riley said.

  • I hate modern football – Alcantara

    I hate modern football – Alcantara

    Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara says he hates modern football and believes VAR is damaging the game.

    The use of video technology to assist referees has proved controversial in football, causing long delays while officials review footage before coming to a decision on goals and fouls.

    Spain international Thiago, who is currently with his national team at Euro 2020, says he has always been against the use of VAR and feels it is an example of football losing its way.

    “Coaches can communicate with us better, players can communicate with each other more,” the 30-year-old said, as quoted by the Guardian .

    “You lose competitiveness but develop other aspects. Extra substitutions mean teams that defend, defend to the 90th minute; teams that press you, press you to the end.

    “I have that ‘hate modern football’ mentality; I’m more classic in attitude. And then there’s VAR, which I’ve always opposed. It removes the essence, the picaresque.

    “We make mistakes when we play, referees have to make mistakes too. Lots of mythical moments wouldn’t exist [with VAR]. And when you score, even a brilliant goal from the halfway line, you’re waiting. Thinking: ‘I hope there isn’t a foul in the build-up, I hope there’s no offside, I hope’.”

  • Arteta fumes with VAR as Everton defeat Arsenal

    Arteta fumes with VAR as Everton defeat Arsenal

    Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti said the Toffees “are back” after a howler from Arsenal’s Bernd Leno gifted his side a crucial win in their bid for a Champions League place.

    The Merseysiders had failed to win in six games in all competitions but moved to within three points of the top four with a victory which was achieved amid a backdrop of protest.

    Over 1,000 Arsenal supporters gathered outside Emirates Stadium to show their anger about owner Stan Kroenke’s role in the failed European Super League.

    The goal came when Everton forward Richarlison tried to roll a pass across the six-yard box. Leno should have scooped it up, but the ball slipped through the Arsenal keeper’s hands, hitting his leg on the way in.

    That was a rare moment of goalmouth action on the night as Everton won at Arsenal in the league for the first time since 1996.

    Gylfi Sigurdsson came closest before that when his 30-yard free-kick hit the bar.

    “It was really important to stay attached to the top of the table,” Ancelotti told BBC Sport. “The performance was good. It’s all good news tonight and this gives us confidence for the next games.

    “Finally I can say we are back.”

    Arsenal were awarded a penalty in the second half after Richarlison nicked Dani Ceballos – but it was overturned by the video assistant referee for a Nicolas Pepe offside in the build-up.

    Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said: “We were the better team but there are certain decisions that we can’t control.

    “To disallow a penalty 15 seconds before – [we had] eight or nine touches [after Pepe was offside] – I saw it 10 times and I don’t get it. It can be taken the way they want. Zero control. Somebody has to explain that.”

  • Solskjaer hits back at Lampard over VAR narrative

    Solskjaer hits back at Lampard over VAR narrative

    Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hit back at Frank Lampard after his Chelsea counterpart suggested Video Assistant Referees (VAR) have favoured them this season.

    Lampard said Manchester United benefited from contentious VAR decisions and poor on-pitch decisions.

    He commenting on how a “clear and obvious decision” went their way on Thursday when Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha was fouled but no penalty kick was awarded.

    Ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, Solskjaer suggested Manchester United have also been unlucky with decisions.

    “I can sit here for hours now and try to talk about this. It looks like there’s a narrative. It looks like people want to influence whoever is making the decisions,” the Norwegian told reporters on Saturday.

    “I hear people talking about luck, that we’ve been lucky more than unlucky. If you look at the factual decisions —- I don’t want to sound like a certain manager talking about facts —- but if you’re offside, you’re offside. That’s clear.”

    Solskjaer listed incidents in which he felt Manchester United were hard done by, describing how a late penalty kick against Tottenham Hotspur was overturned.

    He also recalled how Southampton’s Oriol Romeu and West Ham’s Mark Noble should have been sent off for rash tackles.

    “So, it’s actually me that should be complaining that we get decisions against us on the pitch by the on-pitch referee,” Solskjaer added.

    `There’s a narrative there, but we have to focus on our games. We let other people talk about that. I don’t want to go too much into it because I might be in trouble.

    “I’m pretty relaxed on these and referees are going to be making objective decisions and are not going to be influenced by any emotion in any way.”

    Left-back Luke Shaw will miss the semi-final and his replacement Brandon Williams is also doubtful after suffering a facial injury against Southampton on Monday.

  • VAR official dropped after wrong call against Chelsea

    VAR official dropped after wrong call against Chelsea

    Referee David Coote has been dropped from this weekend’s Premier League games, after failing to send Giovani Lo Celso off, for a rash tackle on Cesar Azpilicueta.

    Lo Celso appeared to stamp on Azpilicueta’s leg in the second half, but was not even booked.

    Michael Oliver who was the centre referee for the match missed the incident and VAR waved it aside after a review.

    Coote has now not been named to officiate a game, appear as an assistant nor take part in Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duties.

    Oliver will, however, be in charge when champions-elect Liverpool travel to Watford in Saturday’s late kick-off.

  • Wenger wants offside law changed to reduce VAR criticism

    Wenger wants offside law changed to reduce VAR criticism

    FIFA’s head of global development Arsene Wenger says he will attempt to make a major change to the offside law.

    He disclosed that it would be a change which could end a run of contentious decisions in the game since the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

    Wenger wants a player to be deemed onside if any part of their body which can legitimately score a goal is level or behind the last defender.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Frenchman was manager of English Premier League club Arsenal for 22 years.

    This will flip the current rule which states the player is in an offside position if any part of their body they can score with is beyond the line of the last defender.

    Usage of video review has been a source of constant criticism since its recent introduction, including concern about the time to take decisions and the precision with which offsides are judged.

    The system sparked another controversy last week in the Premier League when Wolverhampton Wanderers had a goal ruled out against Leicester City.

    That was after Pedro Neto’s heel was adjudged to be fractionally offside in the build-up.

    Wenger will recommend the change during the world football lawmaking body IFAB’s annual general meeting in Belfast on Feb. 29.

    “You will be not offside if any part of the body that can score a goal is in line with the last defender, even if other parts of the attacker’s body are in front,” Wenger told the British media.

    “That will sort it out and you will no longer have decisions about millimetres and a fraction of the attacker being in front of the defensive line.”

    Each of the four Home Nations —- England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland —- has one of the eight votes, with FIFA holding the other four.

    NAN reports that any law change needs six votes in favour to go through.

    If Wenger gets his three-quarter majority, the new law could come into effect on June 1 —- 12 days before the start of the European Championship.

  • VAR decisions ‘soul destroying’ – Lampard

    VAR decisions ‘soul destroying’ – Lampard

    The video assistant referee “didn’t get it right” in Chelsea’s 2-0 home loss to Manchester United and it was “soul destroying” for the supporters, says Blues boss Frank Lampard.

    VAR official Chris Kavanagh did not feel Harry Maguire deserved a red card for appearing to kick Michy Batshuayi.

    Kavanagh also ruled out two Chelsea goals – one for a push in the box and the other for offside.

    Hundreds of home fans left Stamford Bridge with more than 10 minutes left.

    Headers from Anthony Martial and Maguire secured a first league double over Chelsea for Manchester United since the 1987-88 season.

    Chelsea became only the second team to have two goals awarded on the field but then ruled out by VAR in the same Premier League game, after Sheffield United against Brighton in December.

  • UEFA cuts 15 seconds off VAR reviews in Champions League games

    UEFA says it has shaved 15 seconds off the average time it takes for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system to correct a decision in its Champions League this season.

    It said the average is now down to one minute 30 seconds.

    The head of UEFA’s referees’ committee, Roberto Rosetti, said he was very happy with the way the technology had been used in the competition.

    But he stressed that it was only for “clear and obvious” mistakes.

    UEFA said that in 108 playoff round and group stage matches so far, 27 decisions had been corrected by the VAR system, an average of one every four games.

    “This shows the quality of the referees’ performances,” said Rosetti.

    “In addition, we feel that the time taken to overturn a decision is important. So far this season, the average time for the correction of a decision has been one minute 30 seconds —- 15 seconds less than last season.”

    The use of VAR in some domestic leagues, particularly England’s Premier League, has been widely criticised.

    This has come with suggestions that the video officials in some countries now have more power than those on the pitch.

    Many critics feel that it has gone beyond its original remit with goals being disallowed for the tiniest of infringements such as a player being offside by an armpit.

    “I will emphasise once more that —- in compliance with its protocol —- VAR is only for clear and obvious mistakes, and not for controversial situations,” said Rosetti, emphasising that the official on the pitch should have the final call.

    “Football needs good referees above all —- match officials with a strong personality on the field of play, who take correct and courageous decisions.”

    UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has been among the critics over the way VAR has been used in some leagues, saying it was changing the character of the sport.

    The European football body confirmed that VAR would be used in the knockout stages of the Europa League for the first time this season.

    UEFA added that it would also be used for the Euro 2020 playoff matches in March, as well as the final tournament itself.

  • VAR in danger of turning players into Robots – Wolves boss

    VAR in danger of turning players into Robots – Wolves boss

    Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo says VAR is making players reluctant to celebrate and “in danger of becoming robots” following Willy Boly’s disallowed goal in Friday’s 0-0 draw with Leicester.

    The French defender’s header was ruled out because Pedro Neto’s heel was fractionally offside in the build-up.

    “Let those who understand do something to have the joy of celebrating,” said Nuno.

    “Something has to be done.”

    Wolves have now had four goals ruled out by VAR this season.

    It was also their second VAR-disallowed goal against Leicester this term after Leander Dendoncker’s effort was chalked off in a 0-0 draw on the opening day of the season.

    The decision to disallow the goal on Friday night took over a minute and ignited anger from the Wolves supporters.

    And their mood was not helped by seeing a still image of the incident, which appeared inconclusive to those inside the ground.

    “The law is the law but the question is, is there a clear advantage?” added Nuno.

    “I’m upset of course because Molineux was buzzing and suddenly it went down.

    “It’s hard for the players to sustain the levels of concentration in this situation and it’s even worse when they see the image.

    “Let’s try and hope who had to decide can take a good look and see what is happening.

    “The players don’t understand. They don’t see, they don’t have the lines. When you have something and someone takes it away you don’t like it. You can be on both sides but unfortunately this happens more times for us.”

    Had Boly’s goal stood it would have been the first time Wolves had opened the scoring in a Premier League game since their 2-2 draw at Brighton on 8 December.