Vardy is VAR from pleased
JAMIE VARDY has blasted VAR for leaving players and fans in the dark about big decisions.
The England and Leicester star says the new technology is taking the fun out of the game, and says players do not know whether to celebrate goals in case they are overturned.
On Tuesday night at Wembley, German referee Deniz Aytekin gave a penalty for a foul by England defender James Tarkowski on Italy’s Federico Chiesa after calling for a review on the advice of VAR Benjamin Brand.
Lorenzo Insigne converted the 87th-minute penalty to cancel out Vardy’s opener.
Vardy said: “Don’t ask me about VAR – I don’t know what it stands for. The worst thing about it is the not knowing what is going on, not just players but fans as well.
“It just says VAR’s in use and, if you are on the pitch, you are just stood around and the crowd is just sat there waiting.
Screen
“I know they use it in other sports where it’s up on a big screen so that everyone can see what the video ref is looking at. But, at the minute, we’re all just standing there waiting.
“In terms of not celebrating, we had one in the FA Cup against Fleetwood where Kelechi Iheanacho’s scored, the ref ’s gone to VAR, he’s literally not had a chance to celebrate with his team-mates.
“Then, at the end of it all, it’s just like schoolkids running around everywhere, ‘Yeah, we’ve scored, where is he? Let’s go celebrate’. It’s got a lot of work that needs doing to it.”
Vardy’s goal was his first for England in a year and a day since scoring against Lithuania at Wembley in a 2-0 win.
He added: “I didn’t realise it was that long!”
Vardy, who has scored eight goals in his last 12 games, is buzzing about the prospect of a first World Cup at the age of 31.
He said: “It’s massive and I know, first and foremost, I’ve got to be playing well for Leicester.”
Despite Vardy winning the title with the Foxes in 2015-16 and being voted the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year that season, he feels he has not won everyone over.
“People doubt you, they’re going to doubt you, let them carry on doing it,” he added. “I’ve always answered the questions up to now.”