By Paul Nicholson
January 24 – The 2019 Asian Cup has been a tournament of firsts and in Dubai today there will be another. The Japan vs Vietnam quarter final will be the first time VAR has been used at an AFC event.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 9 – The video assistant refereeing system, whilst gaining in overall popurity, has had its fair share of criticism since being gradually introduced across European and international football.
November 21 – UEFA looks set to fast-track the implementation of video assistant referees (VAR) for the knockout stages of this season’s Champions League after growing pressure to fall into line with most of Europe’s domestic leagues and following the system’s success at the World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 16 – Premier League clubs have finally decided to introduce video assistant referees from next season pending formal approval. In April, despite its use across Europe’s other major leagues, England’s elite voted against the system being implemented in this season’s domestic campaign.
November 8 – Was it the most disgraceful penalty call in refereeing history at either European or domestic top-flight level?
October 5 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has moved to integrate the Video Assistant Referees, VAR, into its major club competitions. On Thursday, CAF announced that the VAR will feature in the finals of this season’s African Champions League and Confederation Cup.
September 28 – UEFA have taken the plunge and will introduce video assistant referees (VAR) in the Champions League from the 2019-20 season.
September 27 – The fast forward march of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system has reached Asia with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announcing that it it will be introduced “at some stage” in the Asian Cup UAE 2019 which kicks off January 5.
September 24 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has admitted for the first time that he had his doubts about the use of video assistant referees at the World Cup but insisted the system was now here to stay.
August 29 – Still banned over that infamous ‘disloyal payment’ from Sepp Blatter, former UEFA boss Michel Platini has entered the debate over video assistant referees saying the system has done next to nothing to help the game.
August 22 – UEFA, whose president Aleksander Ceferin has resisted video assistant referees in his club competitions, are considering a partial about-turn and could introduce VARs in the Champions League from the quarterfinal onwards, according to The Times newspaper.
By Samindra Kunti
August 14 – Defending champions Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim kick off the new Bundesliga season this week and will be the first test of Germany’s reworked approach to the usage of the video assistant referee (VAR) system and technology.
August 6 – One of England’s most respected former referees has blasted the Premier League’s decision to not implement Video Assistant Referees (VAR) in the forthcoming 2018/19 season.
July 17 – Croatia’s Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has poured out his heart over their World Cup final defeat saying his side “played much better football” than France.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 16 – Long before the World Cup got under way, FIFA president Gianni Infantino was unequivocal. It was unthinkable, he said, for the destiny of the world’s greatest sporting occasion to be decided by a refereeing mistake.