Luis Diaz VAR error: Liverpool demand thorough and transparent review
Liverpool wants a transparent and thorough investigation into the procedural shortcomings that led to Luis Diaz’s goal being wrongly disallowed at Tottenham on Saturday.
Sky Sports News understands that the club does not want to single out an official and has taken umbrage at the fact that PGMOL has labeled the events as “significant human error”, which wrongly leads to the application of the rules for the match being entirely VAR-related , Darren England.
Liverpool wants a thorough investigation of the process. This would range from the appointment of the refereeing team – as three of them had worked in the United Arab Emirates 48 hours before the match, raising questions about workload, fatigue and the quality of preparation – to the aftermath of an unprecedented error that being described as the Worst seen in the Premier League.
The prevailing feeling is that a comprehensive procedural overhaul is needed, rather than scapegoating a single person. Jurgen Klopp had said in his post-match press conference: “I’m pretty sure whoever did that, who made that decision, didn’t do it on purpose.”
Liverpool have made a formal request to the PGMOL for the audio conversations between the referees to gain a better understanding of what happened and why protocol was placed above sporting integrity.
There is widespread recognition within the refereeing community that if such a serious blunder was committed and picked up within seconds of the restart, the match should have been stopped to achieve the correct outcome.
It has also been questioned why there was such a rush to make the initial decision, while emphasizing that accuracy is more important than the time it takes to reach a conclusion.
As one current official said Sky Sports News: “This is not about a subjective call, it is a goal – checked and confirmed – that has not been followed through, I would say, not one but a series of shortcomings. It could and should have been corrected immediately, regardless of normal protocol given how many people are in the control room or listening in. This was not a normal situation.
“I have to say there is also a question that management needs to answer, and it shouldn’t just be up to one person.”
Liverpool calls for transparency
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Dermot Gallagher said the decision to disallow Díaz’s goal against Tottenham was a ‘very, very bad mistake’
There was conflicting information when referee Simon Hooper was told that Diaz’s goal should have stood.
In Ref Look further Sky Sports NewsDermot Gallagher said: “At no point am I satisfied that he told the referee from the 34th minute until half-time that he had made a mistake.”
But Hooper was reportedly informed of the mistake shortly after the incident.
Transparency is key for Liverpool.
The club, which found itself in an unprecedented situation after an unprecedented bureaucratic situation, stated that they would “explore” the options available. They’re still learning what those are, but an example is retrieving the full audio conversations.
The statement did not say they would “pursue” all options. A demand to replay the game was not mentioned or hinted at in their communiqué.
The reference to ‘escalation and resolution’ is intended to emphasize that Liverpool would not simply accept PGMOL’s vague statement of ‘significant human error’ and a review without a framework of reference.
PGMOL defends midweek assignment in the UAE
As for VAR England, his assistant Dan Cook and fourth official at Tottenham Michael Oliver working on Al Ain’s win over Sharjah 48 hours before the blockbuster Premier League match, PGMOL has said this is not an unusual practice.
The officials arrived back in London on Friday to prepare, which the agency said is routine for those who have had international engagements during the week, such as the Champions League.
However, the FA is a member of UEFA and FIFA. There is no requirement to sanction freelance work in other competitions. Travel considerations and perceptions of referees working lucrative jobs in countries linked to current Premier League clubs are also different.
The issue of fatigue, workload, whether there is quality control in the preparations and whether this contributes to the quality of official performance, which is being questioned.
PGMOL has not responded to the above due to a large number of incoming requests for comment.