Famalicão board slam VAR after Sporting defeat: "Stop nitpicking" | OneFootball

Miguel Ribeiro, in statements to the press at the end of the match against the 'lions', regarding the 22nd round of the I Liga, directed harsh criticism at the use of VAR.

"I think VAR shouldn't be looking for reasons to disallow a goal with a magnifying glass. Interestingly, it's the same VAR (Vasco Santos) that officiated our game at Estádio da Luz, against Benfica. Interestingly, this week, Roberto Rosetti (head of UEFA refereeing) talked about what VAR represents. Today, it's neither clear nor evident that there was a foul," said Miguel Ribeiro, referring to the foul that led to the disallowance of Ibrahima Ba's goal, eight minutes in.

Miguel Ribeiro reminded that "VAR is meant for when there is a clear referee error and to correct it" and considered that "this was not the case."

"I appeal to UEFA and Roberto Rosetti to look at this incident. After what he said this week, he will surely look at this incident and say that this is everything UEFA does not support. This is not defending football, not defending the spectacle, not defending the goal. For Sporting, it's very pleasant that the goal was disallowed, but football cannot be happy," he considered.

According to Miguel Ribeiro, who does not question the fairness of the result, it is urgent to clarify to all those involved in Portuguese football how VAR has been applied.

"This is the appeal I make to the Refereeing Council, and also to Pedro Proença, president of the Portuguese Football Federation, to clarify once and for all that VAR is a tool for assistance. It is not a magnifying glass used to disallow goals (...). Those in charge of refereeing need to speak out. It's unsustainable. This goes between the federation and the League. There needs to be a clear agreement (between the two bodies). We are addressing this issue weekly," he concluded.

Sporting won against Famalicão today by 1-0 and maintained their isolated second place, now totaling 55 points – three more than the third-placed (Benfica) and four less than the leader FC Porto. Famalicão is in sixth place, with 32 points.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.