José Mourinho doesn't need an introduction. Controversial, charismatic, and rather unpredictable, this weekend he has again taken center stage after this weekend's 2-0 win of Fenerbahçe over Antalyaspor in the Turkish Super Lig. He received a yellow card for placing a laptop in front of a broadcast camera for an unusual protest against a VAR decision that had earlier ruled out a goal by Dzeko for offside.
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VAR, controversy, and Mourinho's reaction
Despite being some years into its introduction to the global soccer scene, VAR has continued to receive criticism and controversies. During the game between Fenerbahçe and Antalyaspor, VAR officiated that Edin Dzeko's goal was out for offside-a decision which would find no love in Mourinho. He took it to the next level when, in protest, he placed a laptop showing an image of the incident in front of the broadcast camera, as if to say, "Look, that goal was legit!" A visual protest, direct, and of course enough to immediately raise the referee's hackles, who promptly yellow-carded Mourinho.
Afterwards, during the news conference after the match, Mourinho hastened to explain himself: his reactions had been calm, never disrespectful to anyone. He underlined that VAR was supposed to help referees make the right decisions.
"I like a good VAR. For me, it does not matter if he is Turkish or from some other country. I just want a VAR to help the referee make the right decisions. There were many controversial moments in the game. From the first minute until the possible penalty on Dzeko, the second yellow for the elbow on Tadic, and, of course-Dzeko's goal disallowed. I reacted cool, but the referee next to me decided to give me a yellow card. I didn't do anything wrong," Mourinho explained.
Mourinho and VAR
Mourinho has never been shy about voicing his opinion on anything that has to do with soccer. He has, once or twice, congratulated the technology; however, at other times, he very well criticizes it when decisions are not going his way. It is a duality with which many fans and analysts can relate. VAR is here to stay, but how it is applied remains up for debate.
In this case, the protest of Mourinho against Fenerbahçe vs. Antalyaspor was to underline this injustice that he thought was taking place. By placing the laptop in front of the camera, he actually had the viewers go back and replay that play to make their judgment. It's almost as if he wanted to say, "Technology can be great, but like everything in soccer, it depends on how it's used."
The question now is whether VAR really improves the game or it just obfuscates it and renders it more subjective. By protesting, Mourinho certainly seems to lean toward the latter.