VAR overrules goal-line tech to disallow strike in Europa Conference League mess
Fans were left in disbelief after VAR controversially overruled goal-line technology to disallow a strike during Fiorentina's Europa Conference League clash with Braga on Thursday.
The Italians progressed to the round of 16 without complication, with a hard-fought 3-2 win on the night securing a 7-2 aggregate victory, but there were complications aplenty with the officiating.
In the second half, Fiorentina striker Arthur Cabral thought he'd brought his side level after seemingly squeezing his shot past Braga keeper Tiago Sa, who trapped the ball with an outstretched arm right on the line.
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The referee's watch buzzed, signalling that the ball had gone in, but VAR, oddly, decided to review it. After a whopping five-minute pause the video assistants disallowed the effort – despite the goal detection system in the stadium showing that all of the ball had crossed the line by a matter of millimetres.
As it turns out, the goal line tech had malfunctioned – that is at least according to the VAR officials – leaving fans on social media completely baffled.
"Goal line technology is the one reliable part of VAR and know you're telling me it doesn't always work? Fantastic," one supporter tweeted.
Was VAR right to rule the goal out? Let us know in the comments section below.
"What the hell is going on here? Looks like a gap between the goal and the line to me," another posted.
In the end, it didn't really matter as Fiorentina grabbed a legitimate equaliser five minutes later, before going on to win the match late on.
The controversy comes after a nightmarish few weeks of VAR troubles in the Premier League that saw referees' chief Howard Webb call an emergency meeting in an attempt to stop the rot.
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