The video-assistant-referee system will be in force in today’s Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter.
For the fifth time, the video-assistant-referee (VAR) system will be used in a Champions League final today. VAR was first used in a Champions League final in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Tottenham in 2019, having been introduced in Europe’s premier club competition at the start of that season’s knockout stages.
During Manchester City and Inter’s clash in Istanbul today, on-field referee Szymon Marciniak will be supported by video assistant Tomasz Kwiatkowski, while Bartosz Frankowski will be the assistant VAR.
How does VAR work?
The VAR system is there to look at what UEFA describes as “match-changing” incidents, with a focus on four scenarios: goals, incidents in the penalty area, red cards and mistaken identity. VAR is only there to alert the on-field referee to “clear and obvious” mistakes, UEFA says.
For example, if a goal has been scored, the video assistants will check whether the strike should be disallowed for offside by the scorer, or by another attacking player earlier in the build-up. Other things they need to look for include any fouls by the attacking team and, potentially, whether the ball went out of play during the move that led to the goal.
If VAR believes an error has been made, they can ask the on-field referee to go over to the pitchside monitor to re-watch the incident. When it comes to factual, interpretation-free decisions such as offsides, though, VAR will just tell the referee what has happened, without the need for a pitchside review.
The video officials now have semi-automated 3D technology, known as the SOAT system, to help them make offside decisions more quickly. In UEFA competitions, it is the assistant VAR who focuses on offsides calls.
VAR in action in the Champions League final
Last season’s Champions League final, between Real Madrid and Liverpool, threw up a major example of VAR being brought into play to check a match-changing incident. It came late in the first half at the Stade de France, when Karim Benzema thought he had given Los Blancos the lead but was immediately flagged offside.
Assistant VAR Massimiliano Irrati then had to check whether or not Benzema had been offside at two points in Madrid’s attacking move. While the Frenchman was quickly deemed onside in the first of these calls, the second proved particularly complex, as it was unclear whether a) Benzema was standing beyond the last defender, and b) whether he received the ball from Madrid’s Fede Valverde or Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté. If it was Konaté who turned the ball to Benzema, Irrati had to decide whether the defender played the ball on purpose, as an attacker cannot be offside if they receive a ball deliberately played by a defender.
After a stoppage of nearly three and a half minutes, Irrati determined that Benzema had been standing in an offside position in the second instance; and that Valverde had knocked the ball onto Konaté's leg before it reached the striker, meaning the defender had not deliberately played the ball.
This complex example of VAR’s use is indicative of the fact that officials are not always sticking to the requirement that video assistants intervene only in “clear and obvious” errors. While Irrati ultimately upheld the original offside decision, could the on-field officials have been said to have made a blatant mistake had Benzema actually been proved onside?
Madrid later won the 2022 final 1-0, thanks to Vinícius Júnior’s second-half goal.
Goal-line technology also in use
During today’s Champions League final in Istanbul, the on-field match officials will also have goal-line technology, which has been used in the Champions League since the 2016/17. They will each be wearing watches which will let them know whether or not to award a goal in situations where it is unclear whether or not the ball has crossed the line.