No excuses as VAR set for UCL debut

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin warned that there will be no more excuses as Video Assistant Referees (VAR) make their debut in the UEFA Champions League starting this week.

Manchester United hosts Paris Saint-germain at Old Trafford today while Roma plays Porto at the Stadio Olimpico as the last 16, first legs get under way, AFP reported.

The system which was used during last year’s FIFA World Cup, and is now widely called upon in most of Europe’s leading leagues, was initially set to be rolled out in the Champions League from the start of next season.

However, it will now make its debut six months earlier than anticipated.

“If we can do it before, why not” pondered Ceferin of an initiative which had been opposed by his predecessor, Michel Platini.

Slovenian Ceferin warned coaches that they would have no reason to complain after most snubbed a meeting in Frankfurt to discuss the use of VAR in European competitions.

Of coaches from the last-16 teams invited only those from Juventus, Lyon, Paris Saint-germain, Roma and Schalke attended, with the others sending “assistants, other staff or even marketing people,” said Ceferin. “For me it’s not only a lack of respect for Roberto Rosetti’s (UEFA’S chief refereeing officer) team and the UEFA organization, but the influence of coaches is huge and if they complain about being refereed they should at least come and see what the experts say about the use of VAR,” Ceferin said after being reelected UEFA president last Thursday.

“Now they do not have any excuses, especially the ones that did not even come.”