The English football arbitration body, Pro Ref, recognized a VAR error during the derby won by Manchester City against Manchester United (0-1). If Erling Haaland’s position on the only goal of the match was indeed legal, the body indicates that the achievement should have been canceled for an offside by Enzo Fernandez. Although the latter did not touch the ball, his attempted header disrupted the action, which should have prompted the video referee to request viewing at the side of the field.
In its press release published this Sunday evening, Pro Ref officially apologized to the Mancunian club for this error of judgment: “We have contacted Manchester United this evening to acknowledge what we consider to be an error in judgment. The incident will be re-examined.» A mea-culpa which risks fueling debates around the management of VAR on the other side of the Channel, while the expulsion of Phil Foden at the start of the match also caused discussion.
