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)



Riyadh Season Sponsors Partnership Between La Liga and Thmanyah

The partnership aims to improve the broadcast quality of the Saudi Pro League. SPA
The partnership aims to improve the broadcast quality of the Saudi Pro League. SPA
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Riyadh Season Sponsors Partnership Between La Liga and Thmanyah

The partnership aims to improve the broadcast quality of the Saudi Pro League. SPA
The partnership aims to improve the broadcast quality of the Saudi Pro League. SPA

Riyadh Season has sponsored the signing of a partnership agreement in London between the Spanish football league -- La Liga -- and Thmanyah, the exclusive broadcaster of Saudi competitions and a subsidiary of the Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG). The partnership aims to improve the broadcast quality of the Saudi Pro League.

The agreement was signed on Thursday on behalf of Riyadh Season by CEO of the General Entertainment Authority, Eng. Faisal bin Saeed Bafarat, on behalf of La Liga by President Javier Tebas, and on behalf of Thmanyah by its founder and CEO Abdulrahman Abumalih.

Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) and President of the Saudi Boxing Federation Turki Alalshikh stated that Riyadh Season's sponsorship of the partnership reflects its ongoing efforts to establish a strong global presence.

He noted that Riyadh Season’s sponsorship of La Liga last year was a major milestone and that the new step continues the strategy of positioning Riyadh Season as a global brand across various sectors.

For his part, Javier Tebas expressed his enthusiasm about collaborating with Riyadh Season and Thmanyah to elevate the audiovisual production standards of the Saudi Pro League.

“We already enjoy a fruitful partnership and are building on a strong foundation, as the league’s audiovisual production is managed by highly qualified professionals. We will work alongside them to deliver even more exceptional broadcast experiences,” he said.

Tebas stressed that the partnership marks an important step in enhancing the international profile of Saudi football.

The partnership includes training programs aimed at developing the capabilities of local audiovisual production teams, ensuring gradual and sustainable knowledge transfer. It also involves cooperation in formulating a comprehensive strategy to combat digital piracy in the Kingdom, helping to protect entertainment and sports content.

The agreement reflects a strategic direction toward delivering a complete viewing experience that meets audience expectations both locally and internationally, while also boosting content quality and expanding the global reach of the Saudi Pro League.