Referees' body admits VAR error in Manchester derby
The refereeing body Pro Ref has acknowledged that the video assistant referee system, VAR, wrongly allowed Erling Haaland's goal in the Manchester United vs. Manchester City match at Old Trafford in Manchester, United Kingdom. The goal proved decisive in Manchester City's 1-0 victory, Channel NewsAsia reports.
Decision after VAR review
In the 60th minute, Haaland's goal was initially disallowed for offside. Following a VAR review, it was determined that the Norwegian striker was not offside, so the original decision was overturned.
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However, Pro Ref said that VAR did not take into account Enzo Fernandez's possible influence on the incident. Fernandez was offside and attempted to play the ball with his head, although he did not touch it. The refereeing body believes that under such circumstances, the video assistant should have recommended that the referee review the incident on the pitch.
Manchester United's reaction
Pro Ref said it had contacted Manchester United to acknowledge the error in assessing the incident and would conduct a review. Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick criticized the referees' decision after the derby, saying he did not understand how, with VAR and additional specialists available, the officials failed to make the correct decision.
