Is VAR the Ideal Solution to Football Refereeing Issues?
It seems not, given the ongoing controversies and complaints in matches where goals and player actions have been disputed. Initially intended as a tool to improve the accuracy of refereeing, by enhancing and correcting the interpretation of field referees and avoiding unfair decisions regarding questionable goals and penalties, VAR does not entirely resolve the trust issue related to human interpretation in football refereeing.
In Tunisia, following matches where referee decisions were contested and questioned after accepting or rejecting questionable goals and penalties, the Tunisian Football Federation decided to introduce VAR for the new season to put an end to any controversy related to questionable actions, goals, and penalties.
However, due to delays in various procedures related to the launch of the call for tenders, the selection of the private supplier, the specification book, and several other factors, its integration encountered difficulties and could only be implemented from the fifth day of the championship, scheduled for September 12 and 13, whereas it should have been planned from the first matches of the Ligue 1 football.
This delay is explained, among other things, by the fact that Chinese suppliers preferred to take the necessary time to ensure that the equipment meets the required standards and that the personnel in charge of installing the VAR equipment received the necessary training before proceeding with its installation in Tunisian stadiums.
Used during the matches between US Ben Guerdane and CA Bizertin, USM and ESS, and Stade Tunisien and Espérance ST, the use of VAR started on a positive note, allowing for the cancellation of three questionable penalties. Will it succeed in gaining the trust of the public in Tunisia, or will it also be the subject of eternal controversies related to the questionable interpretation of field refereeing? Only time will tell.
