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Fans Turn on VAR as New Survey Finds Three-Quarters Want It Gone

League officials argue for refinement over repeal, citing more correct decisions.

Overview

  • - A new Football Supporters’ Association poll of nearly 8,000 fans finds about 76% do not support VAR, and more than 90% say it has made going to matches worse.
  • - Supporters cite long checks and unclear explanations, with more than nine in ten saying the system has dulled the joy of celebrating goals.
  • - Appetite for widening reviews is low, with 86% voicing concern as the Premier League gauges clubs on using VAR to check corner awards next season.
  • - The Premier League defends the technology, noting roughly 100 correct overturns per season and internal research that points to keeping VAR but improving how it is used.
  • - Reform talks are gathering pace as the league’s Key Match Incidents panel logs 54 officiating errors this season versus 44 at this stage last year, while IFAB launches a two-year review and UEFA prepares a post-World Cup summit to tighten consistency.