VAR is one of the most controversial and divisive additions to the modern game, and whoever you ask will have a different opinion on it to the last.
While the technology was meant to remove debate from high-profile refereeing decisions, so far it seems to have had the complete opposite effect.
Poor graphics and those questionable lines drawn across our screen for marginal offsides have led to question marks over how some of these decisions are made. Well now a new four-part docu-series from UEFA could shed some light on that.
Man in the Middle will place focus on the man in the middle, and the first episode is available to watch on UEFA.tv now.
A couple of clips have been shared on Twitter, teasing what to expect from the series, with United’s famous night in Paris a fitting starting point. In the dying minutes Diogo Dalot hit a shot that struck the arm of Presnel Kimpembe, leading to Rashford dispatching a penalty with the last kick of the game, sending his side through.
? ??? ?? ??? ??????, a brand new https://t.co/AmDdmbC7vF series debuts today!
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 16, 2020
Enjoy an unprecedented look into the lives of #UCL referees ???
The other captures the early drama between Liverpool and Tottenham, where Moussa Sissoko handled in the box in the game’s opening moments.
? Episode one of ??? ?? ??? ?????? addresses some of the most high-profile VAR decisions since its #UCL introduction in early 2019.
— UEFA (@UEFA) November 17, 2020
?️ Hear the conversations that took place and what the referees themselves think now… pic.twitter.com/LUxStXay0F
Uefa’s chief of refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, says the series will give supporters a new perspective on officials tasked with making impossibly high-pressure decisions.
“It’s important to communicate with people, to show what the referees are doing,” he says.
“They are human beings, they are trying to do their best, they are really professional, they are really serious and honest people.”
Featured image credit: Getty