Video referees for French football next season

Paris (AFP) – French football’s top division Ligue 1 is set for video assistant referees next season after several club chiefs revealed that they had agreed in principle to adopt the technology.

“Video technology will be in Ligue 1 next season,” said the president of Giungamp Bertrand Desplat after Thursday’s general meeting of the French football league (LFP).

“If everything goes well, we should start at the beginning of next season,” added the president of the French Football Federation (FFF) Noel Le Graet.

“I think it’s a good initiative, all the club presidents want it, as do the referees and other observers.”

The video assistant referee, commonly known as VAR, has been used since the start of this season in Serie A and the Bundesliga, and will be introduced to Spanish La Liga next season. 

The VAR can only be used for key incidents in matches regarding goals, penalty decisions, straight red card decisions and cases of mistaken identity.

The technology’s use in those leagues is part of the trials being carried out by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

“We need to do what the most developed countries are doing. Video is necessary for some incidents,” said Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas.