On Wednesday evening, on the occasion of its 35th anniversary, the Association of Footballers (VdF) invited Bundesliga players to a VAR discussion under the motto “We have to talk”. Because currently hardly a game day goes by without controversial decisions. Players, officials and referees were among the participants. Without a high-ranking ÖFB representative on the podium, there was not much objection; rather, all actors shared the desire for professional refereeing.
Again, there was a demand for full-time arbitrators, which is associated with many open financing issues. However, it was also shown that positive change could start on a small scale. For example, FIFA referee Gishamer misses a structurally anchored feedback loop after the match day when it comes to VAR. “I would like to go more in-depth and bring in more structure. Ultimately, we are currently only getting the resolution that everyone is getting in the media,” said Gishamer, referring to the official VAR website and the associated Twitter account.
The Salzburger emphasized, however, that the compatibility of a main job and refereeing makes rapid in-depth analyzes difficult. However, with the appropriate financial security, he could well imagine a life as a professional referee. Gishamer also let it be known that not all colleagues are happy with their area of work. “One feels more comfortable as a referee, the other has more quality in front of the screen. But the current state of affairs is that everyone is deployed everywhere at regular intervals.”
Full-time specialist to ensure improvement
And according to Schicker, he always does his screen work with a lot of personal touch. Even without knowing the name beforehand, he knew which referee was sitting at the respective game “in the basement in Meidling”, said Schicker. This can be read from the ratings of the respective game scenes. “It really shouldn’t be like that. But that’s noticeable in every match,” said Sturm’s sports director.
With the appointment of a full-time specialist, things should now get better. “A position was created in the ÖFB to take care of even more professional structures, precisely this red line,” explained David Reisenauer, the Bundesliga board member for match operations. Tasks in the elite refereeing area, which are currently still part of the honorary post, are to be gradually transferred to the full-time position in the coming months, as the ÖFB, which is responsible for refereeing in Austria, has already announced. According to reports, this person is not only wanted in Germany – and is probably equipped with extensive skills.
“We players don’t know enough rules either”
Goalie Schlager has now spoken out for more tolerance when dealing with false whistles. “We demand perfection, but the conditions are not so ideal that you can demand that.” The national team goalie explained some of the indignant outcry on the field in a quite original way: “We players, to be honest, don’t know the rules enough either . We also don’t know when the video assistant referee will intervene.”
The VAR has been in Austria’s Bundesliga since the 2021/22 season. It was introduced to “correct clear and obvious wrong decisions” in the four game-winning scenes goal, penalty kick, dismissal and identification (yellow/red card). The technical aid costs the league around 1.5 million euros per season.