Five VAR debacles

Germany v Cameroon, June 25, Confederations Cup

Cameroon’s Sebastien Siani was wrongly booked for a reckless high challenge by team-mate Ernest Mabouka on Germany’s Emre Can.

Referee Wilmar Roldan reviewed the incident using VAR but, instead of booking the right player, he added to the injustice by changing Siani’s card from yellow to red.

Amid Cameroon protests, he reviewed the incident again, rescinded Siani’s sending-off and showed a red card to the correct culprit Mabouka.

“Everybody’s confused including me,” said Cameroonian coach Hugo Broos.

“First of all I saw a red card, then it was a yellow card, then he (the referee) came to the jury next to the pitch, then he went again to the player, then he gave a red card to another player.” Borussia Dortmund v Cologne, Sept 17, Bundesliga

Sokratis Papastathopoulos scored from close range for Dortmund after Cologne goalkeeper Timo Horn dropped the ball at a corner.

The referee first awarded Cologne a free kick but, after consulting with the VAR, changed his mind and gave the goal.

However, Cologne said the referee had blown his whistle before the ball entered the goal, meaning that he could not subsequently award it no matter what VAR showed. AC Milan v Lazio, Jan 28, Serie A

Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi was left perplexed after Patrick Cutrone’s opening goal for Milan was allowed to stand even though replays showed the ball had come off his arm.

Inzaghi says he could not understand why the incident was not spotted by the VAR. Fiorentina v Juventus, Feb 9, Serie A

Fiorentina were awarded a first-half penalty after Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini handled Marco Benassi’s cross.

Jordan Veretout stepped up to take the kick but was kept waiting by the referee for three minutes.

The referee then drew a television symbol in the air and awarded a free-kick to Juventus near the corner flag.

Replays showed that Benassi was offside when he crossed the ball but the ball had come to him off Juve defender Alex Sandro – making it a question of interpreting whether Sandro had deliberately played the ball.

“They took a lifetime to decide,” said Stefano Pioli after the match. Napoli v SPAL, Feb 18 Serie A

Marek Hamsik scored for Napoli, the stadium announcer Decibel Bellini went through his entire ear-splitting celebratory routine and SPAL were ready to re-start the match before the referee made the VAR signal.

The goal was disallowed for offside, which replays showed was the correct decision, but only by a matter of centimetres, raising questions over whether the incident should not have been reviewed as it was not a clear, obvious mistake.

To add insult to injury, Hamsik was booked for smashing into the corner flag as he celebrated a goal that never was.