'Unacceptable': The refereeing scandal rocking the Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur took on Liverpool this weekend in a gripping, tense game to determine who would rise to second place in the English Premier League.
Spurs eventually snatched the win, thanks to a heartbreaking last-minute Liverpool own goal, but both teams performed beautifully — despite a wretched, regrettable refereeing controversy that threatened to turn the spectacle into a farce.
In the first half, when the game was still scoreless, Liverpool's Luis Diaz broke through Spurs' back line and scored a beautiful solo goal. The on-field referee disallowed the goal, claiming it was scored from an offside position (aka that Diaz had received the ball whilst ahead of the final Spurs defenders.) The goal went to the video review team, known as VAR, and it agreed: the goal would not stand.
One problem: the goal wasn't scored from an offside position — and it wasn't even a particularly close call.
So what happened? The referees simply miscommunicated. The VAR team thought the on-field refs had allowed the goal and simply wanted to check it; accordingly, they radioed down to the field that the decision was good and should not be overturned.
But the VAR team had it backwards — the on-field refs had disallowed it. By the time everyone involved had figured that out, play had restarted and it was too late for the goal to be reinstated.
It's the latest in series of game-defining scandals from VAR, and Premier League teams and fans are losing patience with the technology.
"It is clear that the correct application of the laws of the game did not occur, resulting in sporting integrity being undermined," Liverpool said in a statement after the game. "We fully accept the pressures that match officials work under, but these pressures are supposed to be alleviated, not exacerbated, by the existence and implementation of VAR."
While it appears the game-changing decision was simply a mistake, eagle-eyed viewers of global soccer soon unraveled another layer of the story. The referees and VAR team responsible for the mistake had worked a one-off match in the United Arab Emirates just days before.
The United Arab Emirates is, of course, inextricably linked to Premier League soccer. The nation owns Manchester City, the league's defending champions. And who is Manchester City's biggest challenger this season? Liverpool — the victim of this refereeing mistake.
It is unlikely that the mistaken referees are part of a UAE-led conspiracy to deny Liverpool vital points. But it's worth pointing out that decisions like this — allowing referees to travel long distances to non-neutral territory before working important games — are a terrible look for the Premier League. They give fans ammunition to speculate and erode trust in the referees responsible for keeping the game fair.
It remains to be seen how Liverpool and the refereeing association will react to this scandal. Liverpool, for its part, appears willing to mount a legal charge; its statement mentions that it will "explore the range of options available, given the clear need for escalation and resolution."
But precedent for situations like this is scant. VAR was introduced just a few seasons ago; the league and its referees are clearly still working out its kinks.
Liverpool will return to action on Thursday against Belgian side Union Saint Gilloise in the Europa League; Spurs will return on Saturday against Luton Town in the Premier League. Both will hope to put this drama behind them — and to avoid being victims of more egregious refereeing mistakes.
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