The Premier League’s official refereeing body, Pro Ref, formerly PGMOL, issued an apology this week to Manchester United over an ‘error of judgement’ that proved decisive in the Manchester Derby.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory, with officials ruling that a touch from Manchester United’s Patrick Dorgu had removed any doubt over an offside decision.
Despite Dorgu’s touch, City’s Enzo Fernández, who was in an offside position, attempted to dive and head the ball following Joško Gvardiol’s 60th-minute cross. Haaland went on to convert at the far post, with officials subsequently reviewing the passage of play at Stockley Park. The ruling favoured City and the goal stood, ultimately proving to be the difference between the two sides.
In the following days, Pro Ref’s Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb, himself no stranger to controversy involving Manchester clubs, and his management team admitted that an error of judgement had been made. In response, Pro Ref has left the officials involved, Matt Donohue and Blake Antrobus, without a Premier League fixture this weekend.
Premier League refereeing has had its fair share of controversial moments since the introduction of video technology during the 2019/20 season. Early teething problems included an incident in 2020 when Sheffield United were denied a legitimate goal against Aston Villa. Oliver Norwood’s free kick appeared to cross the line after Aston Villa goalkeeper Orjan Nyland carried the ball over it, but VAR officials failed to intervene and the game finished goalless.
Across Europe, video technology has also had a difficult relationship with sections of the football-supporting public. The Bundesliga has experienced significant opposition from fans since its introduction, with banners appearing inside stadiums protesting against the technology. Managers in Germany have also expressed dissatisfaction, with an NTV poll reporting that 80% of coaches believed reviews were taking excessively long.
La Liga has similarly experienced difficulties since the technology was introduced to Spain’s top division. Spanish newspaper Marca conducted an analysis of match officials who were mic’d up during games, with the results showing that 10 of 18 decisions analysed were incorrect. Journalist Guillem Balagué subsequently argued that the feeling was that the technology had complicated the game rather than improved it.
There are, however, strong supporters of the technology in Italy’s Serie A. Fans have reportedly called for greater intervention from officials operating away from the pitch. Davide Chinellato, a correspondent for Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport, highlighted the difference in attitude between England and Italy, stating: “Unlike in England, the average Italian fan cannot imagine football without it.”
The fine margins in football, often decided by refereeing decisions, have increasingly been placed in the hands of technology. The on-field referee’s job has theoretically been made easier, but controversy remains as long as human error continues to exist.
For many football purists, the answer is simple: turn back the clock to an era when the on-field referee’s decision was final.
Image Credit: Rlwjones