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Watch: The Incredible Moment A Giant Flag Stops VAR Being Used

Watch: The Incredible Moment A Giant Flag Stops VAR Being Used

It's like nothing you've ever seen before...

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

The introduction of VAR into the world of football is definitely dividing opinion. It caused major problems in the Confederations Cup, last summer while there's also been plenty of criticism whenever it's been used in England - for instance in Liverpool's incident-packed FA Cup tie defeat to West Brom at Anfield, last month.

While the technology is being deployed to help the referees and allow them to get the most difficult decisions right, a good chunk of people would argue it's damaging the flow of the game because of the time it takes to go to the video ref.

Credit: Ball Street

But a new kind of VAR-related problem arose in the Portuguese Primeira league during the game between bottom club CD Aves and Boavista, where the former won 3-0.

The hosts were 2-0 up and cruising and thought they'd bagged a third in the 70th minute when Vitor Gomes tapped home from close range.

However, he was clearly in an offside position and so the man in the middle, Fabio Verissimo, called upon assistance from VAR.

But incredibly, the camera being used for VAR purposes was inadvertently blocked by a giant flag being waved by a Boavista fan in the stands.


It was position right in front of the lens and meant it was impossible to get a clear view of Gomes and whether he had strayed off. As a result, the referee had no choice but to give the goal.

If you thought there was controversy with the use of VAR in England, then think again. Anyone against VAR on these shores is definitely going to bringing big fuck off flags to the game, aren't they?

Another crazy incident involving VAR came back in August during the Johan Cruyff shield between Feyenoord and Vitesse Arnhem in the Netherlands.


With Feyenoord 1-0 up through Jens Toornstra, their captain Karim El Ahmadi, formerly of Aston Villa, clipped Tim Matavz inside the area.

The referee did not point to the spot and play continued. Feyenoord then broke in devastating fashion, Nicolai Jorgensen pouncing on a goalkeeping spillage and adding a second goal in front of the rapturous home fans.

Or so he, and the rest of the Feyenoord fans thought.

Because there had not been a stoppage in play and Feyenoord were on the attack in a swift manner, Danny Makkelie, the man in the middle, didn't have the opportunity to immediately review the penalty incident that had occurred around 20 seconds earlier.

Image: Fox Sports
Image: Fox Sports

And so he elected to go the pitchside VAR system to check over the incident after Feyenoord's goal - much to the confusion of players and supporters alike.

After watching the footage for a considerable period of time, he made the decision to chalk off the goal and award the penalty he missed in real-time, with El Ahmadi getting a yellow card.

Former Manchester United left-back Alexander Buttner stepped up and did the business from the spot, completing a dramatic couple of minutes in Rotterdam.

Are you for or against VAR?

Sound off in the comments.

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Topics: Football News, Football, Portugal, VAR