is Paris Saint-Germain really appreciated by the VAR?
With each arbitration decision around Paris Saint-Germain, it’s often the same story. The club of the capital would be advantaged, favored by the decisions of the video refereeing, with many examples in support.
During the third day, against Strasbourg, on August 14, on the opening goal at the very start of the match, Mauro Icardi seemed out of play, but the decision to allow the goal was not reviewed. On September 19, for the 4th day, during PSG-Lyon, the penalty awarded to Neymar in the second half provoked the ire of the visitors, who claimed a foul by the Brazilian striker on Malo Gusto. “I think there was a fault before Neymar on the Lyon defender”, confirms Bruno Derrien, former international referee.
In Metz, three days later, the video arbitration does not sanction a principal of Achraf Hakimi who could have granted a penalty to the Messins. And the latest controversy to date, Friday, against Angers, with the penalty awarded at the very end of the game despite a fault by Mauro Icardi at the start of the action, added water to the mill of discord.
We are not used to bitching.
We are simply asking for consistency, justice, respect. Respect for players, staff, supporters who give everything.
Because we love the foot. Simply. pic.twitter.com/NtpheLseVz
– Angers SCO (@AngersSCO) October 15, 2021
“The referee does not see it, he is progressing on the left side of the goal, and the fault is on the right”, notes Bruno Derrien. “At the start, he doesn’t whistle his hand, either he doesn’t see it, or he feels that it doesn’t whistle. And then he is challenged by the VAR, so he goes to see the image. had to show him the action as a whole, the fault before. So there was a malfunction. “ He recalls in passing that a penalty on the Argentine striker was undoubtedly forgotten in the first period.
At the same time, since the start of the season, no contentious decision has impacted PSG in an original way. What feed some resentment and suspicion of favoritism, that Bruno Derrien wishes to sweep away: “I do not enter into these debates, I believe in the honesty of the referees, I was a referee, I have no doubts about it”, he asserts.
“We must not forget that it is often a question of interpretation”, he continues. “It’s not always white or black, there are gray areas. So there can be several interpretations depending on the person.”
Two elements can explain this sometimes shared impression that PSG is not negatively affected by video arbitration decisions. The matches of the club of the capital, big favorite of the championship, are the most watched, the most scrutinized, the most shelled. The decisions of arbitration, and all the debates, are then found a great echo among the supporters and the amateurs. “There is a magnifying effect on PSG matches, as there is on big cars”, confirms Bruno Derrien.
Finally, a team that plays, that attacks, is more likely to be faced with decisions that may turn in its favor. “When you have a team that attacks and is often in the opponent’s penalty area, there is more chance of having contentious situations, it is obvious”, assures the former referee.