VAR: This is what Stöger, Helm and Co say

The potential end of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in Austria finds little support among the clubs of the football Bundesliga. Many club representatives advocated for maintaining this review option. "The VAR should stay, no question," explained Neo-WAC coach Peter Pacult. "The abolition of the VAR would be a wrong signal," said Sturm sports director Michael Parensen. Similar sentiments were expressed by the Vienna coaches Stephan Helm and Peter Stöger.

"I think no one is keen on it when someone overlooks that the ball is clearly shot into the goal with a hand from a meter away, and it is not penalized because a person in the stadium did not see it," explained Rapid coach Stöger. "If you can no longer reverse that, I find it simply strange. I am a fan of penalizing the very clear things." Pacult, who in the past did not hold back with criticism of the VAR, is also in favor of retaining it. "If we abolish the VAR again, we are taking a step backward. It will not happen, we would be the only country in Europe. That would open a can of worms that is unnecessary."

Austria Coach for VAR

Parensen from champion Sturm Graz also clearly spoke in favor of the VAR. "A lot has been fought for the acceptance of the VAR and it works in large parts. The VAR is a part of modern football in terms of fairness. I also think that the quality will continue to improve," said the German. Austria coach Helm is also an advocate of the VAR, "because I am convinced that the technology helps to reduce clear wrong decisions." The processes still need to be optimized and accelerated. "From my point of view, it would definitely be a step backward if the VAR were abolished again."

GAK coach Ferdinand Feldhofer sees it the same way. "It would clearly be a step backward for Austria on an international level if we lose it." His player Dominik Frieser, on the other hand, is relaxed about the uncertain future of the VAR. "It's annoying when you score a goal and you have to wait to see if it counts. If it's there, it's there. If not, then not, I don't really care," said the veteran.

WSG coach Philipp Semlic, meanwhile, sees a "regressive" development of the VAR in Austria. "If you then have financial savings, you have to consider what can be saved," he said. The VAR is a good tool, but the question is how it is used. The weekly reviews by VAR Austria, which positively and negatively address the VAR interventions of the previous Bundesliga weekend, are considered dispensable by Semlic. "That's self-congratulation or a protective mechanism that no one needs. It would be better if the affected clubs were contacted directly."

Stöger: "Ultimately, it's always people who decide"

Pacult also expects future debates around the penalties by referees and VAR. "Of course, there will always be discussions about certain decisions." For Stöger, this is in the nature of things. "Ultimately, it's always people who decide." That's why he "really laughed" at the beginning of the discussions about the VAR when it was said that there would be nothing more to discuss at the regulars' table. "I think we discuss these situations much more than before at the regulars' table."

Budget constraints could decide the end of the VAR in Austria by the end of the year. "Whether and in what form the VAR will take place in the future is still completely open," Bundesliga CEO Christian Ebenbauer recently told APA. Because the total pie to be distributed is getting smaller, the league, together with the ÖFB, is currently looking for potential savings - including with the VAR, which currently costs around 1.5 million euros a year. "This particularly affects personnel on one side and technical solutions on the other," explained Ebenbauer, for whom the substantive benefit of the VAR is beyond question. Currently, the tender for potential technical service providers from 2026 is taking place.

(APA/Red)

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