VAR Officials Excluded from Weekend Matches Due to Liverpool Controversy

 VAR Officials Excluded from Weekend Matches Due to Liverpool Controversy

Referee Simon Hooper consults VAR during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 30, 2023 in London, England(Image-Getty)

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) officials involved in the erroneous decision during Liverpool's 2-1 Premier League defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday will not be part of the officiating team for the upcoming weekend's matches, according to the list of officials released on Tuesday.

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), which oversees referees, acknowledged that it was an incorrect decision to disallow Luis Diaz's goal, attributing it to human error. PGMOL further stated that the goal should have been awarded through VAR intervention.

In response to the controversy, PGMOL announced on Sunday that Darren England, the on-field referee, and his VAR assistant Dan Cook had been replaced for their respective assignments on Sunday and Monday, with neither of them included in the upcoming weekend's matches.

Liverpool voiced their concern about the misapplication of the game's rules in a statement released on Sunday, asserting that it had compromised the integrity of the sport. The club also stated their intention to explore available options for resolution.

While the on-field referee from the Liverpool vs. Tottenham game, Simon Hooper, and the fourth official, Michael Oliver, have both been selected to officiate weekend matches, the VAR officials responsible for the contentious decision will not be involved in the upcoming fixtures.