- The Observer
24 25.08.19 Sport
Final word
W
ith that collective wit for which
football fans are justly renowned,
the Spurs contingent at the Etihad
Stadium broke into song last
weekend when Manchester City’s
winning goal was ruled out in the
last minute. “VAR, my lord, VAR,” they chanted, to the
tune of Kumbaya, as the video assistant referee scrubbed
out Gabriel Jesus’s dramatic clincher, adjudging Aymeric
Laporte to have handled the ball with the most glancing
of touches. It was a case of Jesus being thwarted by a
higher authority.
But if Spurs fans saw VAR as a kind of divine
intervention, a deus ex machina worthy of devotional
praise, many other observers espied the work of the
devil. The Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy wrote
that it “spoiled the end of a great game”.
His comments echoed those made by the Wolves
manager, Nuno Espírito Santo, who, after a similar
incident against Leicester , argued that such delayed
decisions were “not good for atmosphere”. To “celebrate
a non-goal”, he noted, was not in “the spirit of the game”.
There was much talk about a loss of atmosphere,
and the threat of goal scoring becoming a provisional
experience, dependent on prolonged external review
for confi rmation. And Ian Holloway seemed to view the
disallowing of City’s goal as evidence that the UK needed
a swift Brexit, “because you cannot have someone telling
us how to do our own game”, though he later insisted
that what he really meant was that the combination of
a new handball law and VAR was an injustice analogous
to remaining in the EU in contravention of the popular
vote – or something like that.
To all of which, the only sensible response is calm
down. Let’s remind ourselves why we now have VAR. It
arrived after many years of fl agrant refereeing errors
being repeatedly exposed in slow-motion on TV. Cast
your mind back to the second leg of the World Cup
qualifying play-off between France and Ireland at the
Stade de France in 2009. In extra time Thierry Henry
controls a long free-kick with his hand , guiding the ball
twice with his palm, before crossing to William Gallas to
score the goal that knocked a furious Republic of Ireland
out of the 2010 World Cup.
It was against the spirit of the game, the watching
world agreed – all, that is, except the French fans inside
the stadium, who celebrated like mad. The Irish players
ran after the referee vainly trying to get him to overrule
his myopic decision. They didn’t think: ‘ Oh, but what
will that do to the atmosphere?’ They weren’t worried
about the possibility of interrupting the jubilation
of the home fans.
But let’s recall what happened when an
over-sensitivity to home fans ’ emotions affected
referee s’ performances. Every travelling supporter can
wax hysterical about shocking examples of “homer”
offi cials, who have been a little too attuned to the
majority sentiments of a crowd. Perhaps away fans are
simply grievance-ridden (in spite of statistical evidence
strongly suggesting referees favour home teams), and
are more likely to feel embattled and neglected. So
let’s take a more neutral example: the 2002 World Cup,
which was held jointly in South Korea and Japan.
Remember the World Cup is the pinnacle of football,
the spectacle watched by billions that showcases
the very best, the elite level to which all players and
offi cials aspire, and an example to the rest of football.
In that World Cup South Korea, supported by their
passionate fans, played Spain in the quarter-fi nal. South
Korea lost 3-0. Except, in reality, South Korea won on
penalties , because all three Spanish goals, demonstrably
legitimate, were ruled out, the fi rst by Gamal Ghandour,
the Egyptian referee, for obscure reasons, the second
wrongly adjudged offside and the third ruled out
because the ball – clearly still in – was said to have
crossed the dead-ball line before Fernando Morientes
headed it in. Many other decisions went against Spain in
that match, which was roundly denounced as a scandal.
However, it was almost a model of fair play by
comparison with the previous Korea match, against Italy
in the second round. Within three minutes of the start,
the Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno awarded a penalty
to Korea, when Seol Ki- hyeon fell mysteriously in the
Italian penalty area. Fortunately Gianluigi Buffon saved
the resulting kick.
Moreno went on to make a serious of extraordinary
decisions, almost all of them in Korea’s favour. Paolo
Maldini was kicked in the head and Alessandro Del Piero
was elbowed in the face, without any punishment to the
Koreans infl icting the damage. Then Francesco Totti,
on a yellow card, was sent off after being booked fordiving, though he was clearly tripped. And in extra time
Damiano Tommasi had an obviously legitimate goal
bizarrely ruled out for offside.
In both matches the Korean fans were ecstatic
after the perverse rulings. Can you just imagine how
unspeakably unkind it would have been to curtail their
celebrations by overturning these egregious refereeing
errors? Forget the disappointment of the Ital y and Spain
players, who had been working their whole careers to
reach this stage, and think of the unbearable defl ation
of those joyful fans. Because apparently preventing that
feeling is the spirit of football.
Incidentally, though South Korea enjoyed an
abundance of refereeing favours, no one would suggest
there was any skul duggery or corruption involved.
These things happen, after all. And only cynics would
look at the fact that Moreno was later imprisoned for
heroin traffi cking as any kind of refl ection on his moral
standing or professional reliability.
Yes, VAR could be speeded up – and doubtless will be
as practitioners adjust to its demands – and, yes, there is
an argument that the new handball law is too stringent
and requires a little thoughtful reform. But it’s madness
to confuse these separate issues with the emotional
requirements of a celebrating crowd.
The overwhelming majority of goals scored this
season have been subject to no noticeable review and
their accompanying celebrations have not been remotely
hindered. And while it was a tad unfortunate for the City
fans that their ecstasy was rudely stopped, just as had
happened in the last minute of last season’s Champions
League quarter-fi nal against the same opposition,
think for a moment of the unconfi ned joy and relief
experienced by the travelling Spurs fans. Are they any
less deserving of their emotions?
Vertiginous highs and crushing lows. Or as the old
spiritual goes: Someone’s laughing, Lord, kumb aya.
Someone’s crying, Lord, kumbaya. That ’s the spirit of
football, and long may it last.Scandals of 2002 must
remind us why the
advent of the videoreferee is a good thing,
says Andrew AnthonyKorean calamities of Ghandour and
Moreno are antidote to anti-VAR clamour
Grandstand
A sporting view
Gamal Ghandour’s handling of
South Korea’s World Cup quarter-fi nal
against Spain (left) and Byron Moreno’s
offi ciating of the co-hosts’ game with
Italy are shocking examples of ‘homers’
JIMIN LAI/EPA; MY SANCETTA/AP