Source: REUTERS/Toby Melville
[Saba Sports News] In the match where Borussia Monchengladbach lost 2-3 to Bayer Leverkusen, VAR was used in the 101st minute, after which Leverkusen was awarded a penalty. After the match, Borussia Monchengladbach chairman Rainer Bonhof complained that VAR only reviewed Leverkusen’s potential penalty. However, Rainer Bonhof said he wasn’t criticizing the referee out of frustration over the defeat. Bonhof stated, “I’m not saying this because of what happened, but this match is indeed a good example.” He then proposed an alternative to the current VAR system: instead of the system deciding when to intervene, the teams should decide when a review is necessary. Similar to the Hawk-Eye challenge system used in tennis, coaches would have the right to request these ‘challenges’ to involve the video assistant referee. Under this proposal, referees would have less responsibility than they do now, and the responsibility for reviewing the match would fall directly on the teams. In fact, many people criticize VAR for not intervening in certain situations, but this innovative proposal could put an end to such disputes.