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Is the VAR taking away the excitement from football by making it too honest?

By Vikrant Singh

Liverpool's German manager Jurgen Klopp gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on October 20, 2019. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Liverpool's German manager Jurgen Klopp gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on October 20, 2019. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Is the VAR taking away the excitement from football?

The VAR, this season has been introduced to most of the major leagues across Europe but somehow instead of making it easy for football fans, players and on-field referees, the technology is attracting more controversy and hence it is clear that a lot of work needs to be done in order to make it reliable.

The important question, is VAR really necessary for football’s future? Or the technology is going to take the excitement and the essence of the most beautiful game. So far, this season is definitely making VAR look like a rubbish technology. Instead of solving the blunders, it is creating more blunders on the field. Also, it is shameful for the VAR developers and FIFA as they had ample time for the Research and Development of this technology.

Though the VAR could have denied Messi’s 2013/2014 goal against Atletico Madrid, maybe the 2008/2009 champions league semi-final match between Barcelona and Chelsea, where Chelsea were clearly not given four penalties by the referee.

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More recently, Tottenham hotspurs are making most of the VAR whereas Chelsea seems to suffer every time the VAR is played.

But the critical effect is on the pace of the match, VAR is taking the pace out of the matches hence negatively impacting the excitement, nerves, madness and the love for the game.

Now maybe, it is trying to make the game fair enough but that will get boring as the decisions are being reversed even the player is offside by just millimetres. Eight games have been played so far and fifteen decisions were called with the help of VAR but without any doubt, while the people watching on their television can see the replays whereas the fans in a stadium who have actually paid for the entire experience will only able to see the reply if the decision is overturned. The whole experience inside the stadium is jeopardizing the reputation of a sport which is more than a century old now.

The aim of introducing something new is to improve the experience and making it more absorbing for everyone who is watching it. Goal-line technology was a breakthrough invention for football and it is also helping referees a lot, while players and coaches are satisfied too with the on-filed outcome. In the case of the VAR, it is crystal clear that rules and regulations are still not clear for the people sitting in the room, because not everything goes by the rules mentioned in the book. Sometimes it’s better to rely on instant decisions made through the naked eyes.

All in all, VAR may help in controlling the severe issue such as match-fixing and bringing more transparency in match but FIFA must change the rules while making it flexible and the way of implementation of the VAR in the stadiums. The objective is to make the game experience better, not to take away the thrills. Just imagine, VAR would have never allowed Barcelona to create history, the so-called “La Remuntada” against the PSG.

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What is your opinion on VAR at this stage of the season?

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