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.”