UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin has rejected reports that VAR could be used from the Champions League quarter-finals this season. “I’m still not convinced.”
UEFA bosses were said to be ‘impressed’ by how VAR improved the level of officiating during the World Cup in Russia, but Ceferin made it clear the technology was not yet ‘ready’ for Europe’s elite club competition.
UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin has rejected reports that VAR could be used from the Champions League quarter-finals this season. “I’m still not convinced.”
UEFA bosses were said to be ‘impressed’ by how VAR improved the level of officiating during the World Cup in Russia, but Ceferin made it clear the technology was not yet ‘ready’ for Europe’s elite club competition.
“I don’t know where it came from, but we haven’t talked about it and I’m still not convinced about VAR,” he told Ekipa.
“There are still things that need clearing up. Who decides when to use the VAR? The video referee or main one?
“The fans don’t understand it, neither do the journalists. What things do the referees see and what don’t they see?
“Things are still unclear, but we know that one day it’ll be necessary to use it. I told Roberto Rosetti: when we’re ready.
“We’ll have to adopt it one day because we’re playing all over Europe and the Champions League isn’t just a tournament.
“We also need regulation. Look at the World Cup assistants who did nothing, other than just wait around.
“One referee told me: ‘When there was a big incident, I put a finger to my ear and everyone left me alone.’
“Look at the case of Serbia, who weren’t given a very clear penalty against Switzerland yet others did for much less.”