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)



Ostapenko on Upward Trajectory as Clay Season Gains Momentum 

Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko holds the winner's trophy following the women's singles final tennis match of the WTA tour, in Stuttgart, Germany, Monday, April 21, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko holds the winner's trophy following the women's singles final tennis match of the WTA tour, in Stuttgart, Germany, Monday, April 21, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
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Ostapenko on Upward Trajectory as Clay Season Gains Momentum 

Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko holds the winner's trophy following the women's singles final tennis match of the WTA tour, in Stuttgart, Germany, Monday, April 21, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)
Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko holds the winner's trophy following the women's singles final tennis match of the WTA tour, in Stuttgart, Germany, Monday, April 21, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Jelena Ostapenko is starting to show shades of the form that saw her crowned French Open champion eight years ago with the Latvian knocking over the top two players in the world en route to winning the Stuttgart Open title on Monday.

Ostapenko became the first woman to beat the world number one and number two in the same claycourt event since Serena Williams at Madrid in 2012 by beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final and Iga Swiatek in the quarters.

Her ninth tour-level title, and just her second on clay, lifted Ostapenko six places in the world rankings to 18th, marking her out as a dark horse ahead of Roland Garros, which begins on May 25.

"Honestly, I didn't tell anyone, but I felt confident since the first day. I had a strange feeling in a good way," she told reporters in Stuttgart.

"When I came here, I felt like something's going to happen this week. I pretty much felt that I can win this tournament.

"I think I'm improving day by day and I'm playing better and better. I think I deserve it."

Ostapenko, who also beat Swiatek on the way to the Doha final in February before losing to Amanda Anisimova, has failed to reach a Grand Slam final since her Roland Garros breakthrough in 2017.

However, she said playing without the burden of expectation had worked wonders for her this season.

"I had enough pressure in my career," Ostapenko told the WTA website. "I didn't feel it even though it was the final. In my mind, I was just playing a match."

Ostapenko will be in action in Madrid this week and is also dreaming of another deep run in Paris.

"Obviously I can play well on this surface," she added.

"I will take it match by match, but anything can happen."