Sports
Premier League Releases VAR Audio Recordings Of Luis Diaz’s Disallowed Goal
The English Premier League has released the audio recordings of the conversation that took place after Liverpool’s Luis Diaz’s goal was ruled out for offside.
The Premier League game between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in North London on Saturday, September 30, has continued to generate controversies.
But the most talked about aspect of the game was Luis Diaz’s alleged offside goal. The controversies gained momentum after PGMOL, the body in-charge of Premier League referees confirmed in a statement that the cancellation of the goal was a human error.
In reaction to that confirmation, Liverpool issued a statement to insist that they won’t accept the explanation and ordered for the release of the audio recordings of the conversation between the match VAR officials before and after the erroneous decision was made.
This evening, October 3, PGMOL released the audio recordings with a statement which reads: “In a lapse of concentration and loss of focus in that moment, the VAR lost sight of the on field decision and he incorrectly communicated “check complete”, therefore inadvertently confirming the on-field decision.
“He did this without any dialogue with the Assistant VAR (AVAR). The match then restarted immediately.
“After a few seconds, the Replay Operator and then the AVAR queried the check-complete outcome with the VAR and asked him to review the image that had been created, pointing out that the original on-field decision had been offside, but this was not communicated to the on-field team at any point during the match.
“The VAR team then gave consideration as to whether the game could be stopped at that point.
“However, the VAR and AVAR concluded that the VAR protocol within the Laws of the Game would not permit that to happen, and they decided intervention was not possible as play had restarted.”
Below is the full transcript of the audio recordings:
VAR: Possible offside Diaz
Assistant referee 1: Coming back for the offside mate
Assistant referee 2: Give it
VAR: Just checking the offside. Delay, delay
VAR: Give the kick point, let’s go. Kick point please
Referee: Yeah no worries mate
Replay operator: So here we are
Referee: Wait ok
Replay operator: Just get a tight angle
VAR: Yeah give me a 2D line ready after this one for frame two after that
Replay operator: So frame two there?
VAR: That’s fine
VAR: Perfect yeah
VAR: 2D line on left boot
Replay operator: Let me just switch angles
VAR: Romero I think it is?
Replay operator: I think it might be this angle better? Happy with this angle?
VAR: Yep
Replay operator: 2D line on the boot. Yep ok.
VAR: And stop.
VAR: Check complete, check complete. That’s fine, perfect (showing Diaz is clearly onside). Off.
Referee: Cheers mate
VAR: Thank you mate
Referee. Well done boys. Good process (game restarts with a free-kick)
Replay operator: Wait, wait, wait, wait. The on-field decision was offside. Are you happy with this?
Assistant VAR: Yeah
Replay operator: Are you happy with this?
Assistant VAR: Offside goal yeah. That’s wrong Daz.
VAR: What?
Replay operator: On-field decision was offside. Are you happy with this image? Yeah it’s onside. The image that we gave them is onside.
Assistant VAR: He’s played him. He’s gone offside.
VAR: Oh (expletive)
Replay operative: Delay delay. Oli [PGMOL Hub Ops] saying to delay. Oli’s saying to delay.
VAR: Pardon.
Replay operator: Oli’s calling in to say delay the game. The decision is onside
VAR: Can’t do anything
Replay operator: Oli’s saying to delay. Oli’s saying to delay
VAR: Oli?
Fourth official: Yeah
Replay operative: Delay the game, to delay the game? Stop the game.
VAR: They’ve restarted the game
VAR: Can’t do anything, can’t do anything.
Assistant VAR: Yeah, they’ve restarted. Yeah
VAR: Can’t do anything.
Assistant VAR: no
VAR: I can’t do anything. I can’t do anything.
VAR: [expletive]
