Christian Pulisic has given his candid opinion on the Video Assistant Refereeing Technology (VAR), which was introduced to football to aid decisions made by on-field referees.
Pulisic has called for VAR to be completely scrapped from football, as he feels that the game would be better without it.
Speaking on The American Dream podcast, Christian Pulisic shared his undiluted thoughts on the technology from the angle of a “fan”.
Eliminate VAR completely – Christian Pulisic
He said: “Eliminate it completely,’ before stating: ‘Overall as a fan, I just think we’re better off without it.”
The America international also delivered his two cents on the “Goal Line Technology” also used in football, indicating that it has been a “great” innovation in football.
However, with the Video Assistant Refereeing Technology, he stressed that “it’s one of those things where if it goes for you, you love it. If it’s against you, you hate it.”
His assertion is coming to the fore following a highly controversial decision made during the Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur clash which has generated fiery reactions across the world.
On-field referee Simon Hooper wrongfully disallowed Luis Diaz’s goal for offside, and many were livid with the decision, including Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
PGMOL have since apologized to Liverpool for the “human error” and they have also released the audio recording of the discussions between match officials which led to the goal being canceled for offside.
It is worth noting that the audio recording indicated a case of miscommunication between the on-field officials and VAR officials.
Liverpool also put out a statement on Sunday, October 1, 2023, expressing their displeasure with the wrong decision.
An excerpt from the statement reads: “We fully accept the pressures that match officials work under but these pressures are supposed to be alleviated, not exacerbated, by the existence and implementation of VAR.”
Following the perversion of justice, several individuals have also been subsequently and adequately punished for their actions.
Has Christian Pulisic benefitted from VAR?
Meanwhile, Christian Pulisic has also been a recipient of VAR decision, as he has both received favorable and unfavorable decisions due to the technology.
In May 2021, Pulisic scored for Chelsea in a 1-0 loss to Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, but his goal was chalked off for offside.
Chelsea were also saved in April 2023, as Christian Pulisic could have cost his former club a penalty against Brighton, but he was saved after referee Robert Jones and VAR officials completely missed what could have been a handball offense.
Anyway, the 25-year-old currently plys his trade for AC Milan, having joined the club from Chelsea on July 13, 2023, for a fee of €20 million.
Christian Pulisic has made 8 appearances for the Milan-based club, scoring 3 goals and providing 1 assist across all competitions.
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