Fifa defends VAR in football as Gianni Infantino claims technology ‘adds another layer of adrenaline’

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has dismissed claims VAR is “killing” football and believes it is in fact adding “another layer of adrenaline” to the game.

Fulham boss Scott Parker stated on Thursday night how the use of VAR was damaging the sport after his side had Josh Maja’s goal in their 1-0 defeat to Tottenham chalked off.

The goal was ruled out after VAR spotted Fulham midfielder Mario Lemina had accidentally handled the ball in the build-up to the goal.

Parker said afterwards: “We want to see goals and excitement but I am sorry to say that VAR is killing every part of that.

“You are losing the raw emotion of the game we absolutely love. We are trying to make football so pure and sterile it becomes unrealistic.”

Parker is not the only Premier League boss to voice his concerns this season and his words were put to Infantino on Friday.

But the Fifa president said: “You will not hear me say anything negative about VAR.

“But not because I don’t want to, but because justice is everything, to have a correct decision, and I can just repeat that.

“We have so many more correct decisions due to VAR and we need to recognise that. This is the most positive impact of VAR in football.

“And, you know, maybe I don’t know maybe it was not completely right to say it takes from one and gives to the other, but rather than takes away, it adds, I would say, another layer of adrenaline in the game for me.

“Now, if there is a doubt, you check, you wait, you see - and that’s what makes football somehow what it is, the adrenaline, the waiting as well for a result.

“So for me, again, I prefer if I have to win, to win correctly rather than to win based on a mistake and I think VAR is contributing a lot to that.”

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