Platini Criticizes VAR System: ‘It Wouldn’t Exist if I Were FIFA President’

Former UEFA president and French football star Michel Platini has criticized the use of video assistant referee (VAR) technology in football.

Details: In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Platini expressed that technology fails to address the main issues in modern football and disrupts the game’s human element.

“If I were FIFA president today, this system wouldn’t exist. VAR doesn’t resolve the problems because they are rooted elsewhere. Football should remain a human game. The only application of VAR that makes sense is for offside decisions. Everything else relies on interpretation, and referees should base their choices on the rules, not on screens,” Platini stated.

The VAR system was officially implemented in football in 2018 after thorough testing at international events.

Recall: FIFA introduced the “green card” at the 2025 Youth World Cup.