The general meeting of the clubs of the Russian Premier League (RPL) made an important decision - the video referee system (VAR) will be used in the Russian football championship. It is planned that video replays will be introduced from the season 2019/2020. The decision on the introduction of VAR was supported by all clubs, the head of the RPL, Sergey Pryadkin, told reporters after the meeting.
“VAR today supported again. All unanimously supported. The final sum of all this was not clear, today we heard a total amount - around 9-10 million rubles for each club, not taking into account the salary of the arbitrators. They commissioned to create a working group on this issue. Clubs supported that there would be a single center in Moscow with video referees. Before Christmas, the working group should provide us with a report on this topic, ”Pryadkina TASS quotes.
The working group on the introduction of video assistance to arbitrators in the RPL was headed by Vladimir Khashig, General Director of Krasnodar. Previously, the VAR system was already used in Russian stadiums during the Confederations Cup in 2017 and at the World Championships last summer. In particular, the necessary equipment for video replays was installed at six arenas, where the RPL clubs play this season. All the equipment was temporarily rented by the International Football Federation (FIFA) and after the end of the tournaments returned to the owners - Crescent Comms and Hawk Eye Innovations.
This season, the video help system for referees has already been used at the RPL match, but only in test mode and did not affect the course of the meeting. Testing cameras and various equipment took place on the game "Spartacus" and "Dynamo" in the fifth round of the championship of Russia. Testing was organized by the Russian Football Union (RFU) with the aim of introducing a system of video replays at domestic competitions.
In July of this year, the RFU announced the full use of the VAR system in Russian football in nine matches in the second half of the current season. Football referees will be able to review controversial episodes in the semifinal games of the Russian Cup and the final of the tournament, as well as in the transitional matches between the RPL clubs and the National Football League (FNL). The first meetings of the Cup semi-finals of the country will be held on February 27, 2019, but at what stadiums it is not yet known - the winners of the quarterfinals will be determined only three days earlier.
Following the FIFA example, the RFU plans to lease equipment for VAR. The head of the project for the implementation of the system in Russia, Leonid Kaloshin, believes that a lot of work needs to be done in order to speak with confidence about the use of VAR in the matches of the Russian Cup and transitional games.
“In order to speak with confidence about the conduct of the game, it is necessary to carry out a huge preparatory work in many aspects - technological, communication, training of assistants. Video assistants, judges and video replay operators should receive certification from the International Football Association Board, for which a whole range of work needs to be done, ”Kaloshin said to Sport Express.
The VAR system is already used in four of the five most prestigious European football championships - in Spain, Italy, Germany and France. The English Premier League plans to introduce video replays at the same time as Russia. While in the homeland of football, watch the replays of the episodes of the judge can only in the matches of the FA Cup and English League Cup.
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is also keeping pace with the times. On December 3, at the executive committee of the organization, it was decided that in the Champions League VAR will be introduced already this season from the 1/8 final stage. Also, video replays will be available in the near final of the Europa League and the first play-off of the League of Nations in the summer of 2019. Earlier, UEFA has already decided to apply VAR in the 2020 European Championship and the UEFA Super Cup in 2019, as well as in the Europa League from the 2020/2021 season and in the next League of Nations.
Although the decision to use VAR in the RPL was taken unanimously, not everyone in Russian football likes the idea of introducing video replays. Two days before the vote, Ural president Grigory Ivanov spoke out against changing the rules in the Russian championship.
“Everyone is wrong, the judges are wrong. Now everyone is fighting for the VAR system. But I am against it. It will be the same. Wrong, and there, and here, in both directions. This is twofold. Somewhere the judges make mistakes in our direction, somewhere in the direction of the opponent. I think that VAR will slow down, it will not be the right football. Watch will only be “out of the game” and penalties, yellow cards will not look. And the other violations? ”- quoted Rusfootball Ivanov after losing his team to Krasnodar in the last round of the RPL.