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Tag: VAR

  • UEFA Champions League to use VAR from knockout stages

    UEFA will fast-track the implementation of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) for the knockout stages of its Champions League this season, its president Aleksander Ceferin said on Monday.

    The European football governing body had opted against using VAR this season.

    This was in spite of the technology being employed by major European leagues in Europe and the FIFA World Cup finals in Russia this year.

    But Ceferin said recently that a report being prepared by UEFA’s referees chief could allow its Executive Committee to revise its stance.

    It also agreed on Monday to roll out the technology in this season’s Europa League final and next June’s finals of UEFA’s new Nations League competition.

    “To be very straightforward with you, we discussed with our colleagues. If we can do it before, why wait because it’s hard to afford any mistakes,’’ Ceferin told a news conference at the end of a two-day meeting of the Executive Committee in Dublin.

    UEFA referees chief Roberto Rosetti said UEFA would use the same protocol as other associations but would seek in its guidelines to define the line of intervention clearly.

    “We are speaking about consistency and uniformity. The communication is another key part of the project.

    “We have to be very clear and communicate in the best way to the fans, players and coaches,” Rosetti said.

     

  • UEFA to use VAR in Champions, Europa Leagues

    European football’s governing body Uefa has said that Video assistant referees (VAR) could be introduced to the Champions League and Europa League this season.

    Uefa originally opted against using VAR this season despite it being used by most major European leagues and Fifa at the World Cup in Russia.

    Speaking at a joint Uefa and ECA press conference in Brussels on Tuesday, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said the organisation’s refereeing chief Roberto Rosetti has been leading efforts to make sure Uefa’s pool of referees are ready for VAR and all “technical aspects” have been addressed.

    “I expect the report in a week or so and then we will see when we can implement it – (at) the latest, next season,” said Ceferin.

    With the Premier League agreeing last week to introduce VAR from next season, Uefa is the last major competition organiser in world football to allow referees to use video replays to make better decisions.

    It has previously been suggested that Uefa may try to roll out VAR for the Champions League’s quarter-finals, which start on April 9, although the clubs are keen to introduce the system as soon as possible, which could be the first knockout round starting on February 12.

    The Europa League’s 32-team knockout round starts on February 14, with the first leg of the quarter-finals on April 11.

  • Premier League set to introduce VAR next season

    Video assistant referees, VAR are set to be used in the Premier League next season, after clubs agreed in principle to the move.

    The Premier League will now make a formal request to the International Football Association Board and Fifa.

    VAR was used at the 2018 World Cup, is in operation in Italy and Germany’s top divisions, and has been utilised in some FA Cup and Carabao Cup games.

    The Premier League has been carrying out “non-live” trials this season.

    VAR will also be used in the Champions League from next season.

    There have been growing calls for it to be introduced into the English top flight for several years.

    But in April Premier League clubs voted against it being used for the 2018-19 season.

    On Saturday, Southampton forward Charlie Austin called for a change after he was denied a goal for offside against Watford, a decision he called a “joke”.

    Clubs were given an update at a meeting on Thursday.

    A statement from the Premier League said its testing programme would continue for the rest of the season “with a continued emphasis on those Saturday afternoons which have several matches being played concurrently”.

    How VAR decisions are communicated to fans in the stadium will also be addressed.

  • Marseille midfielder Payet scores first Ligue 1 VAR penalty

    Marseille midfielder Payet scores first Ligue 1 VAR penalty

    Dimitri Payet was the beneficiary as VAR was used for the first time in French football in Marseille’s opening-day win over Toulouse.

    The former West Ham midfielder scored twice, including a penalty courtesy of VAR, during a comfortable Ligue 1 victory at the Orange Velodrome.

    Payet, who missed France’s World Cup triumph through injury, scored from the spot on the stroke of half-time.

    Referee Ruddy Buquet had initially signalled a corner off Kelvin Amian.

    However, after a VAR consultation, the official awarded a penalty after deciding a header from Valere Germain had come off the arms of the Toulouse defender.

    The 31-year-old then doubled the hosts’ advantage just after the hour mark, before Germain added a third in the 89th minute, and Florent Thauvin completed the scoring in injury time.

  • Russia 2018: VAR replays to be shown on big screens at the World Cup

    Video assistant referees (VAR) replays of incidents will be shown on big screens at the 2018 FIFA World cup in Russia.

    VAR will be used at a World Cup for the first time in Russia despite criticism of its use in domestic competition.

    One issue has been that fans have been unable to see replays shown on television that referees use to make their decision, leading to confusion.

    But this summer the crowd will also be told when a decision is being reviewed and why a decision has been reached.

    However the replays will not be shown inside the ground while the referee is making a decision, only afterwards so the official is not influenced by the crowd, football’s world governing body Fifa has announced.

    VAR has been trialled in some domestic English cup games this season, as well as in Germany and Italy, and Fifa confirmed in March the system would be used at the World Cup, starting in June.

    The system was described as “comical” and “embarrassing” after Tottenham’s FA Cup win over Rochdale in late February, when a goal was disallowed and a converted penalty overturned.

    On Monday, a penalty was awarded after players had already left the pitchfor half-time in Mainz’s Bundesliga win over relegation rivals Freiburg.

    Fifa’s announcement that replays will be shown on big screens at the World Cup comes a day after Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said VAR needed further testing before it would be used in European football’s Champions League competition.

    “I have some fear for the World Cup, where we will have referees who have never officiated with the VAR,” Ceferin told Italian paper Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview.

    Fifa’s referees’ chief and former World Cup final referee Pierluigi Collina said the system “is about avoiding clear and obvious major errors”.

    “It’s not a question of refereeing the match with technology,” he added. “The goal has never been to check every minor incident.”

    BBC

  • UEFA president ‘worried’ over use of VAR at World Cup

    UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin has expressed concern over the decision to employ the video replay system (VAR) at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

    He also said the technology still needed more testing before it can be considered for use in the Champions League.

    World football governing body, FIFA voted in March to deploy VAR at the June-July tournament in Russia.

    It was only two weeks after its use was approved by IFAB, the organisation responsible for rule changes in the sport.

    “I have some fear for the World Cup, where we will have referees who have never officiated with the VAR,” Ceferin told Italian paper Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview.

    “I hope there are no scandals or problems,”

    Ceferin has already said that VAR would not be used in the Champions League next season.

    “The Champions League is like a Ferrari or a Porsche: you cannot drive it right away, you need training, offline testing. And everyone has to understand how it works,” he said.

    “It’s too early for VAR. That doesn’t mean we will never have it as the process is inevitable… We’ll have it one day in the Champions League but there’s no rush.”

    VAR is already being used in Serie A, the Bundesliga and Portugal’s Primeira Liga this season, among others.

    IFAB insists it has reduced refereeing mistakes but critics say there has been confusion in a number of matches.

    Goals have been annulled several minutes after being scored — with the teams waiting to restart — and penalties revoked with the ball on the spot.

    Another criticism is that the spectators are not kept informed of what is happening when a decision is reviewed.

    Ceferin said that VAR would not have made any difference in last week’s Champions League quarter-final between Real Madrid and Juventus, where a soft stoppage-time penalty led to the Spanish side advancing 4-3 on aggregate.

    “What would have changed with VAR? Nothing. There are those who have watched it 20 times, I’ve watched it 50, but for half the people it’s a penalty and for the other half, it isn’t.”

    Reuters

  • Premier League clubs vote against VAR for 2018-19 season

    English Premier League clubs have voted not to use the video assistant referee (VAR) system for next season.

    The clubs agreed that advanced testing on the use of the video technology will continue to the end of 2018-19.

    Premier League officials want the system to be implemented for FA Cup and League Cup matches again next term.

    There were some notable high-profile problems with the new technology when it was used for matches in this season’s FA Cup.

    In Manchester United’s victory at Huddersfield in the last 16 of the FA Cup, for example, on-screen lines used to adjudicate on an offside decision were curved and distorted.

    Clubs also want improvement to communication inside the stadium and for TV viewers.

    The decision not to bring in the system next season was made at a Premier League shareholders meeting in London on Friday, when all 20 member clubs voted.

    A statement said the clubs “recognised and are grateful for the substantial developments made” by referees chief Mike Riley and his team.

    The International Football Association Board (Ifab) is expected to approve VAR when it meets in Zurich, in time for this summer’s World Cup in Russia.

    Ifab technical director and former Premier League referee David Elleray said 40 countries were using, trialling or interested in VAR technology.

    Germany and Italy introduced VAR across their top leagues this season.

    In the Bundesliga, technical problems led to 47% of players wanting to abolish the system, according to a survey published in Kicker magazine in January.

    BBC

  • Italian referees association received parcels filled with bullets – Nicchi

    Italian referees association received parcels filled with bullets – Nicchi

    Italian referees association (AIA) president Marcello Nicchi says parcels filled with bullets have been sent to him and other members of the body.

    Nicchi disclosed this on Thursday that the packages had been sent to him, the AIA’s vice president Narciso Pisacreta and referee selector Nicola Rizzoli.

    The development comes amid supporter protests over the use of video assistant referees (VAR), introduced in Serie A this season with mixed results.

    Nicchi also denounced a journalist who suggested fans “should shoot the referees” and added that police and Italy’s Interior Ministry are investigating the incidents.

    Last month, hundreds of angry Lazio fans showed up outside the Italian football federation’s offices in Rome to protest decisions by VAR.

    Flyers handed out during the protest claimed the club had lost five games because of VAR decisions and had won other games where “incredible mistakes” were made.

    VAR is also being used in German’s Bundesliga, Major League Soccer in the USA and has been trialled in the latter stages of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup as well as England internationals.

    The system will also be used in this summer’s FIFA World Cup in Russia.

    Sky Sports

  • Leicester advance in FA Cup as Iheanacho scores first VAR goal in England

    Super Eagles forward Kelechi Iheanacho scored the first goal in English football to be awarded using the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) as Leicester City advanced in the English FA Cup.

    The former English Premier League champions reached the FA Cup fourth round with a 2-0 replay victory over third-tier Fleetwood Town on Tuesday.

    Iheanacho, who had put the hosts ahead in the first half, was initially ruled offside when he deftly chipped the ball over the goalkeeper into the net in the 77th minute.

    But the goal was given after consultation between referee Jon Moss and the VAR.

    Video replays showed former Manchester City striker Iheanacho was level with Fleetwood defender Nathan Pond’s back foot before the Nigeria international raced clear to finish.

    Premier League side West Ham United were given a severe test by third-tier Shrewsbury Town but came through in extra time thanks to Reece Burke’s first goal for the London club.

    Championship sides Cardiff City, Sheffield Wednesday and Reading all reached the next round with victories over Mansfield Town, Carlisle United and Stevenage respectively.

    Iheanacho, a 25 million pounds ($34 million) signing from Manchester City in August, had endured a barren spell in front of goal since making the move.

    But he was given a chance to shine with former Fleetwood striker Jamie Vardy starting on the bench.

    The 21-year-old Nigerian opened the scoring with only his second goal for the club in the 43rd minute as Islam Slimani played a neat ball over the top and Iheanacho coolly converted.

    He was similarly sharp with 13 minutes remaining as he latched onto Riyad Mahrez’s through ball and lifted it precisely over Fleetwood goalkeeper Chris Neal.

    But his celebrations were to be temporarily halted by the linesman’s flag.

    The goal was awarded, however, 68 seconds after it hit the net as video official Mike Jones told Moss that Pond’s back foot had kept Iheanacho onside.

    The second goal effectively ended Fleetwood’s resistance and set up a fourth round match between Leicester and League One side Peterborough United.

    West Ham had been held to a goalless draw at Shrewsbury in the first tie and needed 112 minutes of the replay to break the deadlock at the London Stadium.

    The goal was worth waiting for, however, as Burke met a cross and thrashed the ball into the top corner off the underside of the bar leaving West Ham to play Bournemouth or Wigan Athletic in the next round.

    Cardiff swatted League Two Mansfield aside 4-1 away to set up a tie at home to Premier League leaders Manchester City.

    The English Premier League champions’ manager Pep Guardiola was watching the third round replay from the stands.

    Sheffield Wednesday scored in each half through Marco Matias and Atdhe Nuhiu to beat visiting League Two outfit Carlisle 2-0.

    Reading’s Icelandic forward Jon Dadi Bodvarsson got a hat-trick for the second-tier side who beat Stevenage 3-0