Germans see conflict if VAR used at World Cup

Final decision expected by March

BERLIN, Jan 21, (AFP): Whether the video assistant referee (VAR) will feature at the World Cup finals is yet to be decided, but there are fears the system could spell trouble for Russia 2018.

Former FIFA-listed referee Bernd Heynemann feels the VAR needs to be fine-tuned and June’s World Cup is too soon.

He told German magazine Kicker, it will be “simply impossible with only six to eight weeks of preparation” for refs to use the German FA, was removed as supervisor.

His demotion came immediately after German daily Bild alleged he had influenced the VAR to intervene to the benefit of Schalke, his home town club.

The technology also regularly broke down in the opening weeks, which dented further confidence in the system with one eye on the World Cup.

“We are going to send referees to Russia who have never worked with the VAR before,” former Swiss referee Urs Meier, who officiated at the 1998 and 2002 World Cup finals, told Kicker.

“It is impossible to prepare with just a few trial exercises, because they in no way account for the speed and real-time pressure of a World Cup match.

“The VAR is like an airbag: it can help in an emergency, but only in case of a real emergency.”

Schalke’s new player Marko Pjaca celebrates after scoring his first goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Schalke 04 and Hannover 96 in Gelsenkirchen,

Germany on Jan 21. (AP)