The players and the game are the main roles, not the refs and VAR - Pep

PEP Guardiola says referees must allow players to be the ‘main roles’ in games, as he gave his opinion on Liverpool’s controversial VAR decision at the weekend.

- JOE BRAY

Liverpool were left furious after Luis Diaz’s goal at Tottenham was ruled out for offside, and a miscommunication among the VAR officials meant that the goal was incorrectly ruled out rather than overturned and given in their favour.

They released a pointed statement having received an apology from the PGMOL (who govern the referees), and the debate surrounding the effectiveness of VAR has been discussed in the days since.

Asked for his opinion, City boss Guardiola said that he sympathises with Liverpool and called for the actions of players and managers to once again be what games are judged upon. Putting on a mock voice, Guardiola even jokingly awarded an Oscar to the referees to emphasise his point.

“It changes the job of the referee. They don’t take the decisions, now it is the job of the VAR, the important ones,” he said. “But if they make a mistake with the VAR, we have a problem.