Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, has confirmed that the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology is one of the biggest changes in the history of football.
Collina said in statements to the official website of FIFA, today, Thursday, “I remember today well, a historic day. I was not officially working with FIFA at the time, but I was in Bari with some other colleagues, to watch the Italy match against France and to follow the VAR referees for the first time in a match.” international”.
“I remember sitting in a pickup truck outside the stadium in Bari with the then-new FIFA president (Gianni Infantino). I was explaining to him how VAR works,” Collina said.
“It was on the first of September 2016, and in the six years that followed, VAR did not succeed (in ending football).”
“It has now become part of the fabric of our sport, and it is hard to imagine football without it,” he added.
“I remember the first time we discussed such a technique… We were at the meeting of the International Football Association Board in Belfast in 2014 and we first looked at the idea,” the Italian referee revealed.
“It seemed like a daydream then, but it only took two years to implement it at the highest level in football,” Collina noted.
“VAR technology has only been used in a few countries, and there were very few match officials who had a lot of experience with this technology,” he said.
“But we worked hard and the technology in the 2018 World Cup was a huge success, and everyone who doubted it was disappointed.”
Collina confirmed his confidence and Infantino in the success of the “VAR” technology, stressing that it will bring more justice, adding, “We have been proven right about this technology. However, since 2018, we have not been satisfied with our glories.”
“VAR technology has been one of the biggest changes in football history, but it takes a long time to understand and appreciate it,” he stressed.
“The awareness of VAR is now greater. However, improvements can always be made. It may take a long time, but we need to speed up the process,” Collina hinted.
And he indicated, “To this end, we will see the semi-automated infiltration technology working with (the VAR) in the World Cup in Qatar.”
“The new technology will speed up decision-making and reduce the time to validate goals. Video match officials will be automatically provided with images of each offside incident,” explained the FIFA Referees Committee Chairman.
“A new visualization of the graphics will also be broadcast on TV and inside the stadium to give fans a greater understanding of the decisions,” Collina continued.
He explained, “This technology will also make the VAR technology more accurate, thanks to the (connected ball) that determines the moment of contact and the tracking system that determines the exact location of the players.”
“FIFA – in line with the vision of its President Gianni Infantino – continues to harness technology to help referee and make the game we love more fair and transparent,” Collina added.
“Improvement and development are two essential stages for us, so we are also working on new foundations,” he concluded.
