VAR failures bring confused delays rather than clarity

Otamendi penalty call sparks controversy – but Guardiola backs it, writes Luke Edwards

It has always seemed like the logical thing to do, to use technology to help referees make the right decision, but if something you have introduced to clear up controversies ends up causing more of them, something has gone horribly wrong.

This was a terrible night for VAR, exposing all the problems its critics warned about. It was a night for the Luddites to rejoice, allowing them to argue that they were right all along to resist the introduction of this new technology.

The video assistant referee produced, after a long delay, a penalty decision given against a Nicolas Otamendi handball that was neither conclusive nor, in many people’s view, right.

Schalke were then awarded a second spot-kick even though Salif Sane had been offside when the free-kick was taken in the build-up to the incident, only for VAR not to be used.

Even so, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola remains steadfast in his support for the new technology. The fact his side came back to win the game 3-2, no doubt helping his mood.

“It’s a penalty,” said Guardiola. “I’m a big fan of VAR. The second one is a penalty too and also offside. If we complain about VAR then maybe the offside, but the red card [for Otamendi] is a red card. We gave away the goals and the red card, not VAR.”

The game swung in Schalke’s favour because of that VAR controversy for the first penalty. The ball hit Otamendi. In real time, it was difficult to see what part of his body it had deflected off, but referee Carlos del Cerro Grande awarded a corner kick.

Schalke’s players were angry while coach Domenico Tedesco gesticulated wildly on the touchline, hitting his arm repeatedly with his other hand.

Then the referee received a message in his ear. The video assistants wanted to review the

replays. Minutes passed, the players continued to crowd around the referee who, strangely, did not run over to the side of the pitch to look at the replays himself.

He normally would have done so, but inexplicably and shamefully for Uefa, the pitch side monitors were not working.

With more than four minutes passing, as the players grew colder and the supporters became bored, the replays were slowed down as the ball hit the City player’s hand. Otamendi’s arm was outstretched, it was in an unnatural position, but he had looked as though he was trying to lower it when it was shown at full speed. Frame, by frame it looked worse than it was.

The video referee decided it was a clear and deliberate handball, that an obvious mistake had been made, forcing a penalty and yellow card to be shown.

Except, nobody who had seen the replays could agree that was the right outcome. The debate raged on and on. Four and a half minutes after the ball had hit Otamendi, Nabil Bentaleb converted the spot-kick.

VAR had failed in the very thing it was supposed to achieve. Instead of clearing up a controversy, it had caused one.