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“I no longer understand it myself”: UEFA boss launches scathing attack on VAR

Champions League

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has criticised inconsistent refereeing decisions since the introduction of video assistant refereeing (VAR).

“I no longer understand it myself,” the Slovenian said on Thursday at the “The Forum” conference in Madrid, organised by Apollo Sports Capital, the club’s new majority shareholder.

  • “Sometimes fans can’t make sense of the different interpretations of the rules from one match to the next – and I understand them. I don’t understand it myself anymore,” said Ceferin. The handball rule in particular causes confusion: “Nobody understands it. Is it a penalty or not? Is it deliberate or not? How are you supposed to know – you’re not a psychiatrist, after all!”

  • Ceferin criticises the approach taken in Spain and England

    At the same time, Ceferin emphasised that the final say would remain with the referee on the pitch. “VAR should only intervene in cases of clear and obvious errors,” said the 58-year-old. Reviews, he added, must be kept brief: “Not like in some cases in La Liga or the Premier League, where matches are interrupted for ten to 15 minutes.”

    Consistent application of International Football Association Board (IFAB) rules, he added, remains the surest way to minimise errors.

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