European Football Championships on channels 14.6.–14.7. Go to the competition website from this link.
What is the future of football and VAR, i.e. video referee? Sports expert Mehmet Hetemaj thinks about this especially from the perspective of young people.
– How can young people be kept interested in football if not enough goals are scored? They are the best football entertainment, Hetemaj says.
He believes that true fans will watch the entire 90 minutes and preferably more, even if there are no goals. However, Hetemaj states that goals and ventilation are really important for young people.
– From my own small circle, I can tell you that young people copy their favorite tunes. Then they do them at home on the trampoline, in soccer practices and games, and they are discussed in other ways. Those are the first things they remember.
A game of emotions, winning and losing
Hetemaj says that ventilation has been its own form of art for years. That’s why he hopes that it would at least not decrease.
– I live my life through young people. The joy of young people is the most important thing to me. Role models are needed so that we can bring smiles and joy to the young people who follow football. If we adults lose somewhere, then I’m ready to lose. The joy of youth must be held forever.
Hetemaj believes that top-level players are already used to the video referee. Still, waiting for VAR decisions will certainly have an effect on the feeling, the expert estimates.
– I remember from my own career the feeling when I or even a teammate scored a goal. The euphoria and emotional charge are absolutely incomprehensible, indescribable. You don’t really get that feeling otherwise.
Hetemaj states that he admires the players’ maturity and professionalism in those situations when goals are rejected. He hopes that VAR doesn’t get in the way of emotions. For example, a player scores a goal and then waits for what VAR says and doesn’t ventilate.
– Then it’s not so genuine venting anymore, when it doesn’t come naturally right after it’s performed. Then I’m ready to throw VAR aside. Football is above all a game of emotions, winning and losing. Young people need more goals and genuine emotions.
– If such things are taken away and young people are not allowed to imitate their idols and their fancies, then we are on the wrong path, Hetemaj stresses.
The technology’s margin of error is almost non-existent
VAR has also made me nervous at the beginning of the playoffs. The head coaches of Denmark and Georgia set the decisions of the video referee.
Especially a Danish one Kasper Hjulmand was frustrated after the defeat against Germany. First, Denmark’s goal was disallowed as a very narrow offside, then they were awarded a penalty for a handball.
From the penalty spot, Germany took the lead and eventually progressed to the next round with a 2–0 win. Hjulmand especially criticized the offside penalty.
– We don’t know exactly when the ball leaves the foot for the cross. This was one decision, one centimeter decision, the head coach said.
Hetemaj says he is a supporter of VAR. The margin of error of the technology in use is almost non-existent, he estimates.
– It measures exactly where the lowest player of the defending team is and the highest player of the attacking team. There is almost nothing left to worry about. With these current rules, Denmark’s situation was clearly offside.
However, Hetemaj believes that at some point there will be some kind of change to the offside rule. He can’t predict it exactly, but he evaluates possible changes.
– Will we talk about the difference of five centimes or, for example, one limb? That if the limb is above the opponent’s lowest player, then it won’t be judged offside? Someone similar will probably come.
Hetemaj understands the frustration of coaches and players. At the same time, he states that the referees’ work is really difficult, especially when you think about the game without a video referee.
– How difficult is it for judges in Veikkausliiga, for example? They see that situation only once, there is no VAR. On the other hand, also with the help of technology, the judges look at the situation from different angles and rewind the clips back and forth. That is really difficult.
European Football Championships on channels 14.6.–14.7. Go to the competition website from this link.