We live in a world full of good intentions but football’s latest innovation – the introduction of
video assistant referees (VAR) to help with offsides, awarding goals and penalties and red
cards or mistaken identity – is causing considerable controversy.
Having seen the success of television match officials (TMOs) in major rugby union events
like the Six Nations Championship, football’s powers that be decided they would trial it too.
World governing body FIFA have already approved the use of VAR at this summer’s World
Cup in Russia, while, closer to home, it has featured in selected FA Cup ties and also been
tested in Serie A.
In Italy, the beautiful game is seen as a tactical art form and breeds notoriously passionate
fans that we in Britain politely call ultras. Rome based club SS Lazio is a particularly
prominent example of this.
Following a series of what they felt to be contentious decisions made by officials using VAR,
Lazio supporters organised a mass protest outside the FIGC (Italian FA) headquarters in
March by way of complaint.
It’s now emerged that bullets have been mailed in the post to three leading members of theItalian Referees’ Association, including selector Nicola Rizzoli, who officiated both the 2013 UEFA Champions League and 2014 World Cup finals.
Passions have reportedly been stirred up by a TV journalist who claimed referees had
“declared war against the people”. It appears as though some viewers have taken those words literally.
Much can get lost in translation but Italian fans seem to have quite lost their sense of reason as the Azzurri, their national team, actually benefited from a penalty awarded via VAR in their recent friendly against England.
Three Lions debutant James Tarkowski was the unfortunate player to concede the spot
kick but he’s still received backing by Oddschecker punters to make the World Cup squad
picked by Gareth Southgate. It makes for a lively betting market.
The incident involving Tarkowski saw him tangle with Italy substitute Federico Chiesa, son
of former Sampdoria, Parma, Fiorentina and Lazio striker Enrico who also played for the
Azzurri
“It’s never a penalty,” Tarkowski said after the 1-1 draw at Wembley. “I stood on his foot,
but I didn’t think a lot of it.”
Upon consulting VAR, referee Deniz Aytekin pointed to the spot and Lorenzo Insigne duly
cancelled out Jamie Vardy’s opener. This decision left England boss Southgate unhappy but
he also feels the system can be successful.
“I don’t think with incidents like that VAR will clear things up,” Southgate said in a radio
interview following the game. “It’s one you can debate all day.”
Former FA referees chief Keith Hackett has highlighted the need for the Premier League to
introduce the technology, after early challenges made by Erik Lamela and Jan Vertonghen
during Tottenham Hotspur’s recent 4-1 victory at London rivals Chelsea escaped severe
punishment.
Bearing in mind that the whole purpose of bringing in VAR is to end the debate over
decisions like the awarding of penalties and sending off players, the test phase seems to have had the opposite effect. Rather than end discussions, it has opened them up.
Credit by Soccer Highlights Today
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