There isn’t a Bundesliga weekend that goes by without discussion surrounding referees and VAR. There were also two controversial moments in Werder’s game with Fortuna Düsseldorf last Friday. In one, the referee was alerted and allowed to review a potential handball by Sebastian Langkamp, which resulted in a penalty for Düsseldorf. Just before this, however, it looked as though a Düsseldorf player had handled the ball, and VAR did not get involved.
This is just one example that continues to fuel debate surrounding VAR in the Bundesliga. Werder captain Max Kruse also agrees that VAR can be controversial. “When you see that things are being reviewed for two to three minutes and then a 50-50 decision made, or the play taken back, you need a clearer answer,” said Kruse.
The striker believes that “the referee’s job has been helped by today’s technology,” mentioning above all goal-line technology, which has been implemented in the Bundesliga since 2015. At the moment, it’s VAR that people are talking about. Kruse can see the arguments on both sides: “For the referee, VAR is a good thing. It can make the job easier in key moments. It’s different for a football fan or a team. You don’t really celebrate the same, because you have to wait to see whether the goal’s given or not.”
