The video referee (VAR) system has been called into question in England, to the point that Premier League teams will vote at the next general assembly next month, in Harrogate (Yorkshire) on June 6, whether to maintain it or abolish it for next season. The controversial incidents of the course, in addition to a formal complaint from Wolves – which presented a resolution to the Premier asking for the VAR to be eliminated – have triggered a vote among the 20 clubs in the competition, as revealed by the media. TheAthletic.
Although there have been quite a few cases, none like what happened in September, as Liverpool’s Luis Díaz saw a goal wrongly disallowed for offside against Tottenham, in the same way that a month later Gordon’s goal was validated for that Newcastle beat Arsenal to Arteta’s anger. Failures and decisions that fuel the controversy and that have caused the Wolves, who are at the bottom of the table and after announcing maximum respect for the Premier, the PGMOL (referee body) and their competitors, to announce their complaint: “We are all looking for the best possible outcome for football, and all stakeholders have been working hard to try to make the introduction of additional technology a success. However, after five seasons with VAR, it is time for a constructive and critical debate about its future. Our position is that the price we are paying for a small increase in accuracy goes against the spirit of our game and, as a result, we should eliminate it starting with the 2024-25 season.
Furthermore, the club warns that there are consequences that damage the relationship between fans and football, undermining the Premier League brand. Among the repercussions, they cite: impact on goal celebrations and the spontaneous passion that makes football special; frustration and confusion within stadiums due to lengthy VAR checks and poor communication; a more hostile environment with protests, boos of the Premier League anthem and chants against the VAR; the fluidity and integrity of the game is compromised; erosion of referees’ authority on the field; continuous errors despite VAR, with fans unable to accept human error after multiple views and replays, damaging confidence in refereeing standards… Complaints joined by Nottingham Forest, which has written letters complaint to PGMOL, or the IFAB (International Football Association Board), the independent body responsible for the laws of the game, which states that VAR can only assist a match referee in the case of a “clear and obvious error” or a “serious incident omitted.” Which doesn’t happen.
From the Premier, a spokesperson spoke. “A discussion on VAR will be facilitated with our clubs at the annual general meeting. Clubs have the right to present proposals at shareholder meetings and we recognize the concerns and problems related to the use of VAR. However, the league fully supports the use of VAR and remains committed, together with PGMOL, to making continuous improvements to the system for the benefit of the game and the fans.”
Last month, Sweden became the first country to reject the implementation of VAR after backlash from fans, who have a minimum of 51% ownership of clubs. In the Premier, entities have the constitutional right to propose changes to the rules, and any proposal needs a two-thirds majority (14-6) to be approved. But the organization understands that it would be a step backwards, as it warns that since 2019, when the video refereeing system was introduced, the number of correct decisions made in matches has increased from 82%, before its introduction, to 96% this season. .
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