FC Inter lost to Tampere Ilves 1–2 in the Veikkausliiga football league on Saturday. The bitter defeat was made by Inter Timo Stavitsky a goal that was never accepted. The long shot clearly crossed the goal line, but the referees did not notice this.
Read more: Look how clear Inter’s goal was missed by the referee – this is how the referee coach of the Football Association commented
Referee Oliver Reitala was located about 30 meters away in a place where it was difficult to see the ball moving inside the goal line. Assistant referee Mikko Alakareka too didn’t see the ball hit the goal.
– Mistakes happen, but these are pretty fatal mistakes. If the ball is within a meter, I think it should be seen. It felt like everyone else saw it, as even the opponents immediately realized that the ball was in the goal, the Inter midfielder Petteri Forsell said to Urheilu.
Read more: A scandalous situation in the Veikkausliiga – according to star player Petteri Forsell, even the opponents admitted: “If the ball is within a meter”
The goal line technology widely used in elite football would have detected the goal, but in the Veikkausliiga the technology is not in use, just like there is no VAR system.
– If there was an extra million, without anything else, we would go for it right away, CEO of Veikkausliiga Timo Marjamaa says about the implementation of the VAR system in the domestic main league.
The Veikkausliiga has determined that bringing the VAR system and goal line technology to the Veikkausliiga would be an annual investment of around one million euros. According to Marjamaa, the introduction of finish line technology alone has not been considered.
– We have looked at the whole. It includes VAR and goal line technology, says Marjamaa.
VAR, i.e. Video Assistant Referee, is a video technology aid used in most European countries for referees judging on the field. VAR can be used in four match-changing situations.
“You have to be sure of what you see”
Stavitski’s disallowed goal was widely discussed in the media on Saturday. Coach of the top referees of the Finnish Football Association Matthias Gestranius heard about the incident while on holiday in Copenhagen and looked at the situation himself afterwards.
– Vacation or not, tomorrow I will discuss what happened with the jury. In the training, we have instructed the judges that they must be sure of what they see in different situations and must not guess. The judges were positioned correctly, but there were visual obstacles at the crucial moment, Gestranius commented.
Referee Reitala did not comment on the situation after the match.
– Judges can be invited to a press conference to give comments about a situation, Gestranius said.
However, Valkeakoski did not see the need to hold a press conference. Head coach of FC Inter Jarkko Wiss did not want to comment on the situation to .
The referees demand VAR
The lack of VAR in Finland has been talked about for years. Already in 2018, the then head referee of the Finnish Football Association Jouni Hyytä even considered getting VAR in Finland a vital condition for Finland to stay involved in international development.
– I hope that between three and five years the VAR system would already be in Finland, but in the optimal situation it would be switched to between two and four years, Hyytä told Urheilu at the time.
Experienced Finnish referee Antti Munukka said in an interview with STT that VAR is also a significant entity for the Veikkausliiga in terms of image.
– Is it also a question of credibility in terms of our league, we are still talking about a viable professional series, Munukka thought.
Gestranius, a former top referee who also judged the Champions League, was on the same lines in October. He told that VAR must be introduced in Finland if Finnish football respects itself.
– Futs without VAR is not top futs. We play a different type of football than is played in Europe, Gestranius uploaded.
Munukka also pointed out that VAR would be needed in Finland also because of the development of referees. Gestranius has said the same.
– The European football association Uefa is increasing the use of VAR in its competitions all the time, now also in the Conference League. You (Finnish referee) can’t get to the best matches if you don’t have that VAR experience, Munukka thought to STT.
– VAR should be brought to Finland as well. And yes, it will come, like it or not, Munukka stressed.
VAR, or the lack of it, also affects the players. VAR was prominently featured in the fall when HJK’s goal against AS Roma in the Europa League was disallowed.
CEO of HJK Aki Riihilahti stated that the players of the big clubs are used to VAR and know how to use it.
– We have learning. Certain fouls that don’t show up in other games are highlighted. That’s also experience, knowing how to play in such games and being able to take advantage of it. However, there is also a human element in getting the referee to go there for a VAR check, Riihilahti said.
Gestranius agreed with that view.
– But it’s inconvenient if you can only use it in a few funny games a year, Gestranius stated.
Read more: Even in such football lilliput countries, VAR is in use – a tough message from a referee expert about the situation in Finland
Forsell thinks that, especially in situations like Stavitski’s shot, there should be some kind of help for the judges. According to him, unclear goal situations would be the clearest need for extra help.
– If the game had, for example, one referee on the spot to see if the situation was a goal or not. It probably wouldn’t cost millions, but I don’t know if it could be done like that.
In Sweden, VAR is gathering opposition
VAR is widely used throughout European leagues. For example, Albania, Georgia and Kosovo are countries where VAR is used. This is not the case in Sweden. The system is gathering loud criticism in the western neighbor.
SVT news in November (you will switch to another service), that nine Allsvenskan clubs informed the Swedish Football Association that they oppose the introduction of VAR in the series. 16 teams play in the Swedish men’s main league.
As reasons for the opposition, the clubs stated, among other things, that the system fails to achieve its intended goals, it weakens the experience in the stands and the price is too expensive.
According to Marjamaa, there is no such opposition in clubs in Finland.
– The attitude has been more like that it would be fine if we could find a solution that could be taken forward, Marjamaa opens the discussion with the clubs.
He emphasizes that it is purely a matter of cost.
– We haven’t found a financing model that would have an extra million a year to spend on the system.
According to Marjamaa, Finland has a clear desire to proceed with the matter. The economy just doesn’t allow it at the moment. The CEO of the series does not want to estimate when the system might be introduced in Finland.
– Hopefully we will get it at some point, he concludes.