Premier League Clubs Side With Referees and Back VAR Despite Fans’ Gripes

 Referees have needed time to reach decisions. Photograph: Rich Linley - CameraSport/CameraSport via Getty Images
Referees have needed time to reach decisions. Photograph: Rich Linley - CameraSport/CameraSport via Getty Images
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Premier League Clubs Side With Referees and Back VAR Despite Fans’ Gripes

 Referees have needed time to reach decisions. Photograph: Rich Linley - CameraSport/CameraSport via Getty Images
Referees have needed time to reach decisions. Photograph: Rich Linley - CameraSport/CameraSport via Getty Images

Premier League clubs have chosen to avoid drastic action over VAR, with only the smallest of tweaks in the communication of decisions expected before the season’s end.

The referee’s chief, Mike Riley, gave club executives an extensive briefing on the technology during a Premier League meeting in London on Thursday. A lengthy discussion followed, but the consensus among clubs remains in favor of video refereeing and the outcome of the meeting was more of the same.

The Premier League said in a statement: “The implementation of VAR was discussed at length and the Premier League and the Professional Game Match Officials Board committed to improving the consistency of decisions, speeding up processes and increasing communication to fans.”

The reaction to VAR among match-going fans has been strongly negative and the one change that is to be implemented from December will see extra captioning on graphics shown inside grounds while checks are in progress. Graphics that now read“checking penalty”, will be expanded to say, for example, “checking penalty – possible handball”.

In association with fans’ groups, research will be undertaken at the end of the season to gauge the extent of VAR’s popularity. Any more substantial changes, such as broadcasting communications between the referee and his video assistant, could not be implemented before next season as they would require change in the VAR protocols, a set of laws under the control of the International Football Associations Board.

The mood among clubs remains calm, with most still believing the technology is a good thing. Riley showed clubs data that showed refereeing accuracy in “key match incidents” has gone up from 82% last season to 91% this.

Speaking after the meeting, the West Ham co-chairman David Gold said: “VAR is alive and kicking. This is a brand new system and we are making good progress. We just have to be a bit more patient. We will get it right.”

(The Guardian)



Just Frustration: Piastri Explains Radio Cursing at Alpine

Second-placed McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia poses on the podium with his trophy after the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring racetrack in Spielberg, Austria, 29 June 2025. (EPA)
Second-placed McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia poses on the podium with his trophy after the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring racetrack in Spielberg, Austria, 29 June 2025. (EPA)
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Just Frustration: Piastri Explains Radio Cursing at Alpine

Second-placed McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia poses on the podium with his trophy after the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring racetrack in Spielberg, Austria, 29 June 2025. (EPA)
Second-placed McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia poses on the podium with his trophy after the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring racetrack in Spielberg, Austria, 29 June 2025. (EPA)

McLaren's Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri said cursing at former employers Alpine over the radio at last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix was just a humorous way of expressing his frustration.

The Australian made a comment after having to go off track to avoid Renault-owned Alpine's Argentine driver Franco Colapinto.

"Alpine still managed to find a way to (expletive) me over all these years later, huh?," he told race engineer Tom Stallard in an exchange not broadcast on television at the time.

Piastri told Reuters at a McLaren fan event in London's Trafalgar Square on Wednesday that his swearing had just been spur of the moment.

"It was just kind of a frustrating coincidence. My qualifying got hampered by an Alpine. I got impeded in the race by both the Alpines. So, it was kind of just a build-up of a few things," he said. "And it was more out of frustration.

"I still have a lot of friends at Alpine. A lot of people that I respect a lot.

"It was just kind of an ironic coincidence that the things that hampered me a bit in the weekend were all with Alpine. But, yeah -- more just me trying to express my humor and frustration in the race."

Piastri joined McLaren after being named by Alpine as their driver for 2023, only for the Australian to very publicly reject the seat with a statement that has become part of Formula One lore.

Then Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer questioned the driver's integrity, and threatened legal action, but McLaren won easily when the matter went to the contract recognition board.

Alpine are now last in the championship, and are still going through turmoil, while McLaren won the constructors' title last year and are runaway favorites again.