Report: Manchester City Write to Referee Chief Mike Riley over VAR Concerns
Manchester City have reportedly written to Mike Riley, the general manager of Professional Game Match Officials Limited, to express their concerns over VAR.
According to the Telegraph's Tom Morgan, City have joined Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion in reaching out to former Premier League referee Riley.
Per Sky Sports News' Rebecca Williams, Riley will meet with club shareholders and Premier League executives to discuss the system:
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Per Morgan, clubs are set to debate whether managers should be able to appeal to VAR after a refereeing decision and call on referees to personally consult footage on pitchside monitors.
Unlike in other European leagues where VAR has been implemented, Premier League referees are only allowed to review replays themselves if they have not seen an incident or if VAR information is "outside the expectation range of the referee."
It's said Riley is "determined to oppose" Premier League referees following the suit of their European counterparts, though.
City were unhappy with VAR on Sunday after they were not awarded a penalty for a Trent Alexander-Arnold handball, moments before Fabinho scored at the other end:
Manager Pep Guardiola's annoyance with the officials was plain to see during and after the match:
Per The Athletic's Sam Lee, when asked for his take on VAR, Guardiola said questions should be directed to Riley instead:
Despite the officials having had little opportunity to work with VAR beforehand, the system was implemented relatively smoothly at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
However, its launch in the Premier League this season has been especially turbulent, with controversial decisions—or VAR's failure to intervene in some circumstances—occurring every matchday.
It's still early days when it comes to using the system, but it has shown little sign of improvement as the weeks have gone by.
Sports such as rugby and cricket have shown that video reviews can work, but it's clear it will take time for football to perfect it, particularly in the Premier League.
