VAR cannot be making the same mistakes as a human being, asserts Jose Mourinho
Tottenham face Burnley in their next Premier League game
|Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has opined that while people will accept human errors from referees, the VAR was brought in to change that and cannot be making the same errors. This comes on the back of controversial decisions made by the technology in both the Champions League and Premier League.
After last weekend’s VAR controversy, the technology has once again been in the spotlight after controversial decisions in the Champions League especially in light of Virgil van Dijk’s injury. While Jordan Pickford has not been retrospectively punished over his challenge on the Dutchman, Manchester City were in hot water after Ilkay Gundogan’s challenge. The German midfielder avoided a red card for a foul on Porto goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin although City were handed a penalty seconds later.
That has seen the football world up in flames as despite VAR intervention neither incident warranted further action. Many in Liverpool were further incensed by this weekend’s decisions as well after Fabinho was penalised for a penalty after a VAR intervention. It has seen many speak about the technology with Jose Mourinho the latest and he admitted that clubs cannot accept mistakes made by VAR. He further added that if “the referee makes” a mistake then it’s down to human error but VAR cannot be making the same errors.
“I think the attention [the incidents have received] is based on the fact that there is a VAR. Without VAR, the situations on the pitch happen and the human being, the referee, makes mistakes. And you know me for quite a few years – it was difficult for me to accept the human mistakes but I learned and in this moment, I always accept the referee’s mistake. What we don’t accept is the VAR mistakes,” Mourinho said reported Goal.
“So I think if the referee of that match [the Merseyside derby], 100 mph, the situation happened, the linesman gives an offside, everybody would say: 'Ok, it was a bad tackle but it happened and it’s done'. But the problem was there was a VAR. The Porto goalkeeper could be now with a broken leg. And nobody understands how a broken leg for a Porto goalkeeper is transformed into a penalty against them.
"If the referee makes that mistake, everybody understands because the game is 100mph but with the VAR, how can that VAR make that mistake? And the situation of Pickford for me is the same. It’s the VAR, it’s not the referee," he added.
