Pochettino: 'I trust the car not the driver' — Chelsea boss calls for parts of VAR to be scrapped
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Chelsea's new manager Mauricio Pochettino | Imago

Pochettino: 'I trust the car not the driver' — Chelsea boss calls for parts of VAR to be scrapped

Faruq Ibrahim 23:45 - 06.10.2023

Chelsea gaffer Mauricio Pochettino weighs in on the VAR utilisation debate.

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has joined the host of dissenting voices against the current implementation of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) following the blunder that occurred last weekend in the clash between Liverpool and Tottenham.

Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs were up against Jurgen Klopp’s Reds last Sunday, and an arbitration error, now apologised for by the PGMOL, influenced the game in Spur's favour.

Luis Diaz scored the opener for the Reds, but his goal was erroneously ruled out due to miscommunication between the on-field referring team and the assistant referees in the video booth. 

Tottenham eventually won the game 2-1 and what ensued in the aftermath of the game was a serious inquiry into the current state of arbitration in the league, with many stakeholders and fans alike weighing in.

What Pochettino said

The Blues boss, hoping for a third consecutive victory and the first back-to-back league victory since the match ahead of Chelsea’s clash against newly promoted Burnley this weekend, was the latest to speak against the use of VAR in its current state. 

The Chelsea boss wants the non-exact aspects of VAR scrapped and absolute power returned to on-field referees. He wants only the goalline and offside verification features of the technology that do not wholly rely on human interpretation to be kept.

Pochettino says the team needs time to get their groove || Photo Credit: Imago
Pochettino says the team needs time to get their groove || Photo Credit: Imago
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino || Photo credit: Imago
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino || Photo credit: Imago

"We understand people make mistakes; it is not easy," Pochettino said, per the BBC.

"I think when the referee makes mistakes, we can all accept [it]. When it happens with technology it is difficult to understand.

"For me, it is about simplifying the situation. The most important is to return to giving [more] power to the referee. I think one step back may make things easier and more clear."

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