Hopes for Successful VAR Announcement Trial in Bundesliga
Sudan Events – Agencies
Max Eberl, Bayern Munich’s board member for sporting affairs, hopes that the trial of referees announcing video assistant referee (VAR) decisions to the public—set to begin on Saturday in German football—will be successful and well-received by fans.
Eberl expressed his hope for “transparency, openness, and a bit of understanding” regarding the project, which was approved by the German Football League’s football committee, where he serves as a member.
During the trial, referees will publicly announce VAR decisions through the stadium’s public address system in nine Bundesliga and second-division venues.
The experiment will start with five matches in the 20th round of the Bundesliga, including Bayern Munich’s home game against Holstein Kiel on Saturday and Bayer Leverkusen’s clash with Hoffenheim on Sunday.
This system was previously implemented in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, as well as the FIFA Men’s World Cup. It has also been tested in the Portuguese league and the semi-finals of England’s EFL Cup.
Other sports, such as American football and ice hockey, have used public referee announcements for several years.
Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany commented, “You see this in other sports. I’m curious. Generally, I support innovation, but we need to see how it works before forming a final opinion.
