Uproar in Norway

Abolish VAR? Association opposes clubs

The VAR debate is causing a stir in Norway.(Bild: GEPA)

In the debate surrounding the abolition of the video assistant referee in Norway, the national soccer association NFF is taking a stand against the majority of professional clubs. 

Instead of abolishing the VAR, the association's leadership unanimously voted in favor of retaining and further developing the VAR. This was announced by the head of the association, Lise Klaveness, after a comprehensive consideration of the various positions in the debate.

Klaveness said that a project that so many people had invested their resources in and that had only been running for two seasons could not be completed at the present time. In addition, the video assistant had become an important part of European club and national team soccer. We are in a situation where the majority of professional clubs are up against the majority of everyone else who plays a role in soccer, explained Klaveness.

Fan protests
The video referee was introduced in Norwegian professional soccer in 2023. Since then, it has been the subject of sometimes fierce controversy, with fan groups in particular regularly taking him to task. A week ago, a majority of professional clubs voted in favor of abolishing the VAR as soon as possible: 19 clubs voted in favor, 13 against. The final decision on the future of the video assistant referee will be made at a national soccer congress on March 1 and 2.