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21.08.2026 / English

Statement on fan criticism of VAR

It was announced yesterday, Thursday (August 20th), that organised fan groups across Germany are planning major protests against the video assistant referee (VAR) during the first round of the cup competition. The SV 98 fan base has also stated that it will participate in these protests during the Lilies match against Carl Zeiss Jena. SV Darmstadt 98 fully understands the reasons behind the protests and is in complete agreement with the views expressed on many points.

Foto: Lukas Schulze/Bundesliga/via Getty Images

Markus Pfitzner: “VAR was introduced nine years ago to correct clear errors and thereby make football fairer. While that original intention was entirely understandable, we must now acknowledge that we are a long way from actually achieving that goal. Instead, VAR often strips football of the spontaneous emotion that is such a vital part of the sport—and of German professional football in particular. At the same time, VAR frequently sparks debate, as many decisions remain difficult to comprehend and the on-field referee’s authority is undermined. In our view, decisions involving goal-line technology or clear-cut offside calls are exceptions, as these allow for a decision to be reached very quickly and without room for interpretation. For these reasons, we would welcome limiting VAR to precisely those types of decisions.”

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