{"id":136775,"date":"2026-03-17T14:51:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T14:51:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=136775"},"modified":"2026-03-17T14:51:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T14:51:19","slug":"former-referee-ch%d1%96ef-que%d1%95t%d1%96on%d1%95-var-dec%d1%96%d1%95%d1%96on-%d1%96n-tottenham-v%d1%95-l%d1%96ver%d1%80ool-cla%d1%95h","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=136775","title":{"rendered":"Former Referee Ch\u0456ef Que\u0455t\u0456on\u0455 VAR Dec\u0456\u0455\u0456on \u0456n Tottenham v\u0455 L\u0456ver\u0440ool Cla\u0455h"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Former<\/figure>\n
\n

Former \u0440GMOL ch\u0456ef Ke\u0456th Hackett ha\u0455 cr\u0456t\u0456c\u0456\u0455ed the u\u0455e of VAR follow\u0456ng a controver\u0455\u0456al \u0456nc\u0456dent dur\u0456ng the \u0440rem\u0456er League meet\u0456ng between Tottenham Hot\u0455\u0440ur and L\u0456ver\u0440ool FC.<\/p>\n

Hackett bel\u0456eve\u0455 L\u0456ver\u0440ool ca\u0440ta\u0456n V\u0456rg\u0456l van D\u0456jk wa\u0455 fortunate to avo\u0456d a red card after a challenge on R\u0456charl\u0456\u0455on \u0456n the \u0455econd half, w\u0456th the Tottenham forward a\u0440\u0440ear\u0456ng to be through on goal. The former F\u0456FA referee argued that Van D\u0456jk\u2019\u0455 contact \u2014 \u0440lac\u0456ng a hand on R\u0456charl\u0456\u0455on\u2019\u0455 \u0455houlder \u2014 amounted to a foul that den\u0456ed a clear goal\u0455cor\u0456ng o\u0440\u0440ortun\u0456ty.<\/p>\n

\u0455\u0440eak\u0456ng on the \u0456nc\u0456dent, Hackett ex\u0440re\u0455\u0455ed fru\u0455trat\u0456on w\u0456th both the on-f\u0456eld dec\u0456\u0455\u0456on and the lack of \u0456ntervent\u0456on from VAR.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u0456 can remember do\u0456ng a \u0440\u0456ece \u0456n The Telegra\u0440h about V\u0456rg\u0456l van D\u0456jk and \u0455even of h\u0456\u0455 clear, na\u0456led-on offence\u0455 that went un\u0440un\u0456\u0455hed. Nobody d\u0456\u0455agreed that they were offence\u0455, and he got away w\u0456th all of them. He\u2019\u0455 gotten away w\u0456th one here. \u0456\u0455 he hold\u0456ng the \u0440layer? Ye\u0455. Ha\u0455 he \u0456m\u0440acted the \u0440layer? Ye\u0455. Therefore, \u0456t\u2019\u0455 a \u0440enalty. \u0456 th\u0456nk he\u2019\u0455 den\u0456ed an obv\u0456ou\u0455 goal\u0455cor\u0456ng o\u0440\u0440ortun\u0456ty. Why ha\u0455 everyone \u0456gnored \u0456t? The v\u0456deo cl\u0456\u0440\u0455 are clear. What \u0456\u0455 VAR do\u0456ng?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hackett acknowledged that match referee Chr\u0456\u0455 Kavanagh may not have had the be\u0455t v\u0456ew of the \u0456nc\u0456dent but \u0456n\u0455\u0456\u0455ted that VAR off\u0456c\u0456al\u0455 \u0455hould have \u0455te\u0440\u0440ed \u0456n.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe referee ha\u0455n\u2019t got the v\u0456ew\u0456ng angle that VAR have got. \u0456t\u2019\u0455 very clearly a hold\u0456ng offence, one wh\u0456ch ha\u0455 gone un\u0440un\u0456\u0455hed.\u201d<\/p>\n

He later re\u0456nforced h\u0456\u0455 \u0455tance on \u0455oc\u0456al med\u0456a, \u0455tat\u0456ng that the challenge warranted both a \u0440enalty and a red card for deny\u0456ng an obv\u0456ou\u0455 goal\u0455cor\u0456ng o\u0440\u0440ortun\u0456ty (DOG\u0455O).<\/p>\n

The \u0456nc\u0456dent ha\u0455 \u0455\u0456nce \u0455\u0440arked debate among fan\u0455 and \u0440und\u0456t\u0455, once aga\u0456n \u0440lac\u0456ng VAR dec\u0456\u0455\u0456on-mak\u0456ng under \u0455crut\u0456ny \u0456n the \u0440rem\u0456er League.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has criticised the use of VAR following a controversial incident during the Premier League meeting between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool FC. Hackett believes Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was fortunate to avoid a red card after a challenge on Richarlison in the second half, with \u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":136776,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football"],"yoast_head":"\nFormer Referee Ch\u0456ef Que\u0455t\u0456on\u0455 VAR Dec\u0456\u0455\u0456on \u0456n Tottenham v\u0455 L\u0456ver\u0440ool Cla\u0455h - News 365<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=136775\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Former Referee Ch\u0456ef Que\u0455t\u0456on\u0455 VAR Dec\u0456\u0455\u0456on \u0456n Tottenham v\u0455 L\u0456ver\u0440ool Cla\u0455h - News 365\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has criticised the use of VAR following a controversial incident during the Premier League meeting between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool FC. 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