VAR Blunder: Officials Show Referee Wrong Area of Pitch Before Liverpool Penalty Is Overturned

Paris — A fresh VAR controversy overshadowed the Champions League quarter-final second leg between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday after the on-field referee was initially directed to review footage from the wrong penalty area, a sequence that ultimately contributed to the Premier League side’s elimination.

With the tie goalless in the 64th minute, Italian official Maurizio Mariani pointed to the spot for a Liverpool infringement, handing Jürgen Klopp’s men a lifeline in their pursuit of a comeback. Moments later, the video assistant referee recommended an on-field review, prompting Mariani to jog to the pitch-side monitor.

Instead of being presented with a replay of the incident in question, the screen displayed a static image from the opposite side of the Parc des Princes, where no action was taking place. After the technical mix-up was rectified, Mariani re-watched the correct footage and reversed his original decision, waving away Liverpool’s appeals.

The reprieve galvanized PSG, who struck twice in the closing stages to seal a 3-0 aggregate victory and send the Reds crashing out of Europe’s premier club competition.

UEFA has yet to comment on the malfunction, but the episode is certain to intensify scrutiny of VAR protocols less than three months before the Champions League final.

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