VAR's controversial decisions in Liverpool vs. Real Madrid and Arsenal vs. Slavia Prague
VAR's controversial decisions in Liverpool vs. Real Madrid and Arsenal vs. Slavia Prague
The VAR system has once again sparked debate and controversy in the football world, with some decisions leaving fans and pundits alike scratching their heads. In the Champions League on Tuesday night, Liverpool and Arsenal were both on the receiving end of VAR's interventions, with the technology overturning a penalty and awarding one, respectively.
Liverpool's Free-Kick Overturned
In the 30th minute of Liverpool's match against Real Madrid, Dominik Szoboszlai attempted a shot on goal, which was blocked by Aurelien Tchouameni. The referee, Istvan Kovacs, initially gave a free-kick against Tchouameni for handball, which appeared to be inside the area. Liverpool fans cheered, expecting a penalty to be awarded.
However, the VAR, Bastian Dankert, stepped in and overturned the decision. The referee then went to the pitchside monitor and changed his decision to a dropped ball for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. This meant Liverpool gave up their attacking possession and the cheers turned to gasps.
The handball factually took place inside the box, so it's a penalty. And a penalty is reviewable by the VAR.
Arsenal's Penalty Award
In the 32nd minute of Arsenal's game at Slavia Prague, Lukas Provod was ruled to have handled the ball after a corner was played into the box. The ball came off Provod's head and onto the ball, and the VAR got involved. This would have been a VAR penalty in the Premier League, but in UEFA competition, a distinction is made between deliberately heading the ball and a deflection.
If a defender gets a firm contact on a header and nods it against their own raised arm, that shouldn't be a penalty. But if there's negligible contact, so it's more of a deflection onto an arm which is above the shoulder, that creates a high risk of a spot-kick being awarded. And in UEFA competition, that's what we've come to expect.
Tottenham Hotspur's Brennan Johnson Unlucky
In the 57th minute of Tottenham Hotspur's match against FC Copenhagen, Brennan Johnson was sent off after a VAR review. He stretched to try to win the ball off Marcos Lopez, but got nowhere near it, and after his boot came up off the ground it caught the back of Lopez's leg. Referee Erik Lambrechts showed a yellow card, and while it might have been accidental, UEFA takes a dim view of any contact with a straight leg and studs up, which is obviously above the boot.
VAR's role in overturning penalties
VAR's role in overturning penalties is a controversial one, and it's important to understand how it works. A referee is only sent to the monitor to judge a subjective decision, in this case, handball. So by going to the screen, the referee was overturning his decision to give the handball. This means that the handball factually took place inside the box, so it's a penalty, and a penalty is reviewable by the VAR.
Thought-provoking questions
These decisions raise important questions about the use of VAR in football. Is it fair for the VAR to overturn decisions that were initially made by the referee? Should the VAR have a more limited role in the game? These are questions that fans and pundits will continue to debate, and it's clear that the technology is not without its flaws. So, what do you think? Do you agree with the VAR's decisions in these matches? Or do you think they went too far? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
