The Team Won in the Champions League Thanks to the Opponent’s Rear End. VAR Decisions Are Becoming Laughable

It seems even technology is going haywire when it comes to offside rulings.

On November 5, the first half of the fourth round of the main stage of the Champions League took place. Yes, not the group stage, as before, but the “main” stage — the new name for the standings table. Some results delivered real surprises — much has already been said about Real Madrid’s loss to AC Milan and Manchester City’s defeat by Sporting. But the events in specific matches caused only astonishment and bitter smiles.

Borussia Dortmund is currently in fourth place in the standings. In four matches, the Black and Yellows secured three wins with one loss, generally living up to their reputation as last season’s finalists. However, their recent match against the Austrian team Sturm Graz proved challenging.

Donyell Malen scored the winning goal just four minutes before the end. Sturm Graz was so close to holding out for a draw. But the match would have ended that way if it hadn’t been for the cunning VAR. That is, of course, if the home team hadn’t found the strength for another scoring attempt.

Malen’s assist came from Serhou Guirassy. And he was able to break free with a bit of luck. When his teammate passed the ball, one of the Austrian defenders, Aiwu, appeared to have put Guirassy in an offside position. However, the tricky VAR revealed that Aiwu was, in fact, level with Guirassy thanks to… his backside! His teammates might tease him forever about every extra snack he has because he "grew" a little too much.

However, this is no joke for his team, as they lost points. This situation raises questions about the adequacy of using VAR for offside rulings, or at least the format of its use. Stopping the game for a few minutes to see if a player’s toenail crosses an imaginary line by a few millimeters is absurd. The moment happens, the fans cheer, but no — it turns out the real “action” is behind the scenes.

There are three possible solutions here. The first is to scrap VAR, at least for offside calls. But it’s unlikely anyone will go down this road, except maybe to abolish VAR entirely. However, it’s still unclear whether there are more supporters or opponents of VAR. The second option is to change the offside rule itself. Instead of measuring millimeters, perhaps introduce an allowable zone or clarify which parts of the body or gear may cross it.

Then there’s a third and most obvious option. Why not use a Hawk-Eye-style system, as with goal-line technology, and immediately alert the referee’s watch? Yes, some thought is needed to organize this since, unlike a goal, there is no specific line. But it’s feasible to integrate sensors into player kits so a ball’s chip could instantly detect proximity or position.

In the meantime, the circus has left town, but the clowns remain. Congratulations to Borussia, whose fans couldn’t care less how the victory was achieved. But suppose such situations continue to crop up. In that case, even Dortmund may soon find itself on the losing side of a similar call. The issue is real and needs fixing.

Published by Patrick Jane
06.11.2024