TOAn earthquake could soon affect English football, or more specifically, the Premier league.
As reported by Sky Sports and The Athletic, Premier League clubs will vote on the possible elimination of VAR from the start of next season after Wolverhampton presented a resolution. The plebiscite will take place at its annual general meeting next month.
The letter sent to the Premier League
“Wolves “We have formally submitted a resolution to the Premier League to initiate a vote at the league's Annual General Meeting in June on the removal of VAR from the start of the 2024/25 season,” the letter reads.
“The introduction of VAR in 2019/20 was a decision taken in good faith and in the best interests of football and the Premier League. However, it has led to Numerous unintended negative consequences that are damaging the relationship between fans and football.and undermining the value of the Premier League brand, including:
- Impact on goal celebrations and the spontaneous passion that makes football special.
- Frustration and confusion within stadiums due to lengthy VAR checks and poor communication.
- A more hostile environment with protests, boos of the Premier League anthem and chants against the VAR.
- The original purpose of VAR to correct clear and obvious errors is exceeded, now overanalyzing subjective decisions and compromising the fluidity and integrity of the game.
- Decreased responsibility of referees on the field, due to the safety net of VAR, leading to an erosion of authority on the field.
- Continuous errors despite VAR, and fans could not accept human error after multiple views and replays, damaging confidence in refereeing standards.
- Disruption of the fast pace of the Premier League with lengthy VAR checks and more added time, causing matches to become excessively long.
- The constant talk about VAR decisions often overshadows the match itself and tarnishes the reputation of the league.
- Erosion of trust and reputation, with the VAR fueling completely absurd accusations of corruption.
“The decision to present the resolution came after careful consideration and with the utmost respect for the first divisionPGMOL and our fellow competitors.
“There is no one to blame, we are all simply looking for the best possible outcome for football, and all stakeholders have been working hard to try to make the introduction of additional technology a success.
“However, After five seasons of VAR in the Premier League it is time for a constructive and critical debate about its future.
“Our position is that the price we are paying for a small increase in accuracy goes against the spirit of our game and, as a result, we should remove it from the 2024/25 season.”
The VAR under review in England
The introduction of VAR in England, implemented in 2019, has always generated a lot of controversy among fans and clubs. A decision that was made to improve decision-making considering the money at stake in the world of football.
However, especially this past season, the use of VAR has suffered too many setbacks. Shortly after the season started, Luis Díaz's goalI was wrongly disallowed for offside against Tottenham and it set off alarm bells.
Errors have not stopped occurring throughout the season. The most recent occurred on April 21 when Nottingham Forest issued a statement accusing the VAR referee of being a Luton fan and favoring Everton with their decisions. “They made three terrible decisions,” the letter said.
This time, it is Wolverhampton who raised their voices with the clear intention of abolishing the use of VAR in England.
“The price we are paying for a small increase in precision goes against the spirit of our game. We must eliminate it from the 2024-25 season,” say the 'Wolves'.
The Premier League recognizes Wolves' right to make this complaint. However, they believe that abolishing VAR would make referees' decisions much more erroneous. In fact, according to the Premier League's own statistics, VAR has increased the accuracy rate of referee decisions from 82% to 96%.
“Clubs have the right to present proposals at shareholder meetings and we recognize the concerns and issues related to the use of VAR. However, the league fully supports the use of VAR and remains committed, together with PGMOL, to making continuous improvements in the system for the benefit of the game and the fans,” said one of the spokespersons.
The proposal is scheduled to be voted on provisionally at the Premier League club assembly on June 6. Premier League clubs have the constitutional right to propose rule changes, and any proposals requires a two-thirds majority (14-6) to pass.
