Video Assistant Referee (VAR) has undeniably become one of the most polarizing topics of conversation within the sport. While some assumed that implementing the technology would remove significant referee mistakes, this just has not been the case. Premier League officials, for instance, still regularly have to apologize for errors during games.
One of the more notable critics of VAR is Jon Champion. Champion joined the NBC commentator list for the Premier League this season. The legendary commentator recently sat down with World Soccer Talk to discuss a wide range of topics. One of these talking points was, of course, VAR. Champion proclaimed that he was never in favor of using replay technology in matches.
“I was pretty vocal when [VAR] was being brought in five or six years ago in saying that I didn’t want it,” said Champion. “So, I don’t feel I’m being after the event or using hindsight to say ‘I told you so,’ and it gives me no pleasure to do so, but I just think that football is a game of human frailty and that goes for the officials as well as the players.”
“And we’ve just added a layer of complication and a layer of frustration that wasn’t there before now. Because we were presented with VAR as a catch-all, mend-all, fix-all solution. Of course, it’s not and it was never going to be.”
Another popular commentator agrees with Jon Champion about VAR
Not only are mistakes still happening, but many fans also do not like how dramatic moments are interrupted by VAR reviews. Champion and fellow commentator Peter Drury agree with this issue as well. “I just think we’re in an awkward, frustrating place and it’s interesting actually, talking to Peter Drury last week ahead of Arsenal (versus Chelsea), we were just discussing VAR and I think both of us would probably do away with it given the chance,” Champion continued.
“But as commentators, the biggest frustration of all is that you can be going into the 95th minute of a rip-roaring Premier League, MLS game, doesn’t matter what the competition is, but the game has gripped you for 90 minutes and then you get the pinnacle moment, or so you think, in the 95th minute where someone goes up field and scores the clinching goal and then two minutes later, after lengthy, mysterious delays over which there’s very little communication, you find out that, in fact, what you’ve just seen and celebrated didn’t actually happen at all.”
“I don’t see how you can present professional entertainment in that manner. It’s a bit like asking someone to pay an awful lot of money to go to a Broadway show and there’s a very intricate plot and just as you get into the punchline at the end, the manager comes out, draws the curtains across and says ‘sorry, we’re not going to tell you what happens.’ That’s basically the equivalent, in a dramatic sense, to what’s happening with VAR at the moment in a match-deciding moment and that can’t be right.”
Top English soccer exec wants to expand use of VAR
Despite the widespread criticism, Premier League execs are not going to get rid of VAR. In fact, Mark Bullingham, the FA’s chief executive officer, recently hinted at VAR expansion. Under a new proposal, officials would be able to review decisions regarding corner kicks and free kicks. Rules currently prevent referees from taking a second look at these particular scenarios.
Photo: ESPN
