While the use of VAR is now taken for granted in top European football, it is not yet established in Scandinavia. Sweden has so far refrained from using it completely, while in Norway there is definitely talk of abolishing it.
Scandinavia: Member-run clubs are mobilizing against VAR
The WAS is firmly established in the top European leagues – much to the displeasure of many football fans. On almost every match day he causes excitement in the form of controversial decisions and long interruptions in the game. Just yesterday, Saturday, the triple use of the video assistant characterized the first half between Borussia Dortmund and Union Berlin (4:2).
In Norway The VAR has also been used since October 2021, but the fans, whose presence in the stadium is much more important than in top-class football dependent on TV money, are resisting its use. Your vote is worth a lot because the clubs are member-run. They were ignored when VAR was introduced, as Ole Kristian Sandvik, spokesman for Norsk Supporterallianse (NSA), clarified (via Guardian): “When the debate suddenly arose, we were not at all prepared. None of the clubs discussed the issue in detail and they had very little time to decide. It was a very quick process.”
Ultimately, only Lillestrom voted against the VAR from the start in the first league. However, the mood has increasingly changed recently – at the latest after supporters of the Oslo club Valarenga raised the issue at a general meeting. They succeeded with an overwhelming majority in obtaining a resolution requiring the clubs to pass a resolution that VAR will not be included in the next Norwegian television rights contract, which will be valid from 2028.
According to NSA Sandvik, “more than 50% of our clubs, including the larger clubs, are now against the VAR”, although images are even played on the scoreboard during the game when it is used. It will therefore be difficult for the association to ignore this. On the other hand, however, it is also about the prestige of the leading people. Therefore, there is still a long way for the clubs to reach their goal.
This shows that this is possible Swedish football. In July, the local association responsible for the top two divisions announced that the majority of clubs had passed a resolution against the VAR. Similar to Norway, the clubs in Sweden are also controlled by the members. Nevertheless, the topic is not yet off the table here either. The Swedish association recently decided to benefit from an introduction again in autumn 2024.
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Sandvik follows what is happening closely: “I really hope that Sweden stands firm, because if they introduce it, Norway will have a hard time changing. But if they maintain this attitude, it might be easier for Norway to say: ‘Hey, we can get rid of it.'” However, he doesn’t expect the fans to overrule: “Maybe if there was a decision from Uefa or Fifa, or if the ownership of the clubs were to change, but I don’t think our current situation in the country could change that.”
From a fan’s perspective, this puts the two Scandinavian countries in a much better position than the top European leagues. In Germany too, the majority of clubs are member-led due to the 50+1 rule. However, their opinion is rarely asked on such big issues, which is why the VAR, which was viewed critically from the start, was finally introduced after a year of testing for the 2018/2019 season and was not questioned despite numerous misfires.
(Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images )
2023-10-08 21:39:54
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