VAR has become ‘too microscopic,’ says UEFA refs chief

UEFA referees’ chief Roberto Rosessa has warned that football risks losing sight of why VAR was introduced, arguing that the technology has drifted from its original mandate of correcting “clear and obvious” mistakes into “microscopic” analysis that undermines the spirit of the game. His comments come after Barcelona’s Copa del Rey clash with Atlético Madrid on Thursday, where a disallowed goal from Pau Cubarsi was upheld following an eight-minute VAR review. The decision left the Catalan camp furious, with Hansi Flick and Frenkie de Jong protesting that no offside existed.

Speaking at the UEFA congress, Rosessa said: “About the VAR intervention, I can tell you this: I believe that we forgot the reason why VAR was introduced. We forgot a little bit. Everywhere. You remember, eight of years ago, I came to London. We discussed the ‘what VAR stands for’. We spoke about clear mistakes. “Why we spoke about clear and obvious mistakes. Because technology works so well in factual decisions. In objective decisions, it is fantastic. For interpretations, subjective evaluation is more difficult. That’s why we started to speak about clear and obvious mistakes — clear evidence. “I believe that we need to, at the end of the season, again in our meetings, to speak about this. We cannot go in this direction of microscopic VAR intervention. We love football like it is.”

Barcelona interim president Rafa Yuste confirmed the club will demand explanations for the prolonged delay during the match. The episode adds to a growing list of European matches this season in which VAR has been criticised for lengthy reviews and marginal calls.

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