UEFA President criticizes VAR system

Aleksander Čeferin, President of UEFA, admitted that he himself no longer understands all the rules and referees’ interpretations when it comes to the use of video technology, namely the VAR system.

“I don’t understand it anymore either,” Čeferin said at the Forum conference held in Madrid, organized by Apollo Sports Capital, the new majority shareholder of Atlético Madrid, CE Report quotes STA.

“Fans cannot understand the different interpretations of the rules from match to match, and neither can I. For example: handball — no one understands it. Is it a penalty or not? No one knows. Was it intentional? How am I supposed to know — I’m not a psychiatrist,” Čeferin exclaimed.

“We are trying to explain to referees that the referee on the pitch is the one who makes the decision. VAR should intervene only in cases of clear and obvious errors. And interventions must be short, not like in the past in the Spanish or English leagues with 10- or 15-minute interruptions to review a single incident,” the UEFA chief added.

Čeferin believes that the best way to prevent mistakes is strict adherence to the rules set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

Foto: Daniel Novakovič/STA