English arbitration body attributes VAR error to Haaland's goal
Update: In the 60th minute Erling Haaland scored the 0‑1‑goal for Manchester City at Old Trafford, but the decision was quickly surrounded by controversy. Two minutes later the English referees' organization confirmed that the VAR had wrongly approved the goal and Manchester United was informed immediately.
VAR error confirmed
The referees' organization in England has formally admitted an assessment error. According to the organization, the VAR should not have approved the goal. Manchester United has now been directly informed about the error, according to an official statement.
The incident has drawn the attention of both clubs. Manchester City remained firm in its position that the goal was valid, while Manchester United welcomed the acknowledgment of the error. The statement underscores the complexity of VAR decisions in crucial moments.
Consequences and follow‑up
In the attack, offside was initially detected, after which the VAR checked whether Haaland was actually offside. The check showed that he was not offside, but the assessment remained incomplete.
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The organization stated that Enzo Fernandez did not play the ball according to their analysis, making the question of whether there was an offside a subjective assessment. As a result, the impact of Haaland’s position was not sufficiently taken into account.
‘The VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on‑field assessment’, read a quote from the statement. According to the organization, the VAR had insufficient view of Haaland’s position and should have advised an on‑field assessment.
The arbitration organization called it a ‘assessment error’ and on Monday evening contacted Manchester United to admit the mistake. ‘There will be a review of the incident’, said a spokesperson.
Despite the acknowledged error, Haaland’s goal stood. The incident ended with a victory for Manchester City at Old Trafford.