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Assistant Referees (VAR) was introduced into football to reduce “clear and
obvious errors” in officiating, but since its introduction in 2017, it has
generated as much controversy as it has corrections.
From
handballs, disallowed goals, and offside calls from a player’s armpit, the
system has repeatedly been at the centre of major disputes.
There have been several controversies across different leagues and tournaments, which highlight how VAR has both changed the game and frustrated fans, clubs, and pundits.
Liverpool
vs Tottenham 2023
The Premier
League clash between Liverpool and Tottenham on 30th September 2023 was billed
as one of the early season’s standout fixtures. Both sides entered the game
unbeaten, but things quickly turned chaotic.
Liverpool
had Curtis Jones sent off after a VAR review, and were later reduced to nine
men with Diogo Jota also being shown a red. But the biggest talking point came
from when Luis Diaz scored what looked like a perfectly good goal – only for it
to be ruled offside.
Replays
showed Díaz was clearly onside, and after the match, the refereeing body PGMOL
admitted there had been a “significant human error.” The VAR team had
misunderstood the on-field decision and never corrected it.
Liverpool
battled on bravely, but an injury-time own goal from Joel Matip handed Spurs
the win. The result ended Liverpool’s unbeaten run and left fans furious,
reigniting the debate over whether VAR is actually helping the game or just
creating new kinds of mistakes.
Everton
vs Manchester City 2022
In February
2022, Everton’s Premier League battle with Manchester City ended in fury after
one of the most debated VAR calls of the season.
City led 1-0
late into the game when the ball clearly struck Rodi’s arm inside the box, but
neither the on-field referee, Paul Tierney, nor VAR awarded a penalty.
Everton
players and fans were both stunned and enraged, convinced it was a blatant
handball offense that could have changed the outcome of the game.
After the
match, the Toffees demanded an explanation, with manager Frank Lampard
describing it as “incompetence at best.” The PGMOL later admitted that a
mistake had been made, but ultimately cost Everton a crucial chance to earn a
point in their relegation fight.
Atletico
Madrid vs Real Madrid 2025
Most
recently, a clash between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in March 2025 came
under fire for a serious and costly VAR controversy.
The Madrid
giants faced off in a Champions League knockout game, a 2-2 aggregate draw that
saw the fixture go to penalties.
Atletico’s
Julian Alvarez stepped up for their second spot-kick, but despite scoring, VAR
controversially disallowed the goal, claiming he had touched the ball twice –
once while slipping and again on the strike.
The shootout
swung in Real’s favour when Fede Valverde scored their third penalty. Real
eventually won the shootout 4-2, leaving Atletico players and fans frustrated
at a decision many saw as harsh and unnecessary in a high-stakes moment.
Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brentford in
February 2023 sparked major controversy after a VAR blunder cost the Gunners
two vital points in the title race.
Leading 1-0 through Leandro Trossard,
Arsenal looked set for another crucial win until Ivan Toney equalised for the
Bees.
Replays later showed that Brentford’s
Christian Norgaard was offside in the build-up to the goal, but VAR official
Lee Mason had focused his check on Ethan Pinnock, the wrong player, missing the
key offside completely.
The goal stood, and Arsenal were left
vexed as the mistake was later admitted by PGMOL.
Mason was sacked from his duties, but the damage had already been done, and a win would have put Arsenal just one point behind league winners Manchester City in the final standings.
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These few
examples reflect a consistent theme: while VAR aims to bring fairness and
accuracy, the interpretation of rules, limitations of the technology, and also
the human element in decision-making mean controversies continue to persist.
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