Power outage fuels VAR chaos as LASK contest Sturm Graz
An unexpected power outage halted the VAR review of a claimed penalty in the closing stages of the Spiel between LASK and Sturm Graz, creating a VAR‑Chaos in Österreich. LASK fell 1‑2, and former VfB Stuttgart forward Saša Kalajdžić voiced his frustration at the black screens.
Penalty dispute halted by blackout
The home side LASK appealed for a penalty after an alleged foul on LASK‑Profi Florian Flecker inside the six‑yard box. Referee Sebastian Gishamer rejected the appeal. The Videoschiedsrichter could not examine the scene because a Stromausfall left the stadium without any Bilder.
Saša Kalajdžić, who once played for VfB Stuttgart, said after the match: "Für mich ist das eine ganz klare Verhinderung einer Torchance – es müsste einen Elfmeter geben". He added that the lack of images was "peinlich". "Der Frust richtet sich gegen schwarze Bilder," he complained.
Team‑mate Sascha Horvath echoed the sentiment: "Ab jetzt drehen wir den Fernseher ab, wenn eine strittige Szene gegen uns passiert, und dann machen wir es auch so." When a reporter pointed out the Stromausfalls, Horvath replied, "Aber die Lichter gehen. Aha, okay".
LASK coach Dietmar Kühbauer responded with understanding: "Was soll er tun, wenn keine Bilder da sind?" He stressed that such a situation must never occur in a Spitzenspiel.
Broadcast suffers from outage
The power cut also disrupted the live transmission on pay‑TV Sky. The broadcaster issued a statement apologising for the interruption in the Schlussphase of the match and said it was working to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.
Despite the defeat, LASK remain the league leader in the Admiral Bundesliga, level on points with Rapid Wien. Behind them RB Salzburg sit one point behind, while Sturm Graz sit fourth, four points adrift of the Linzer side.
The incident highlights the fragility of VAR when it depends on broadcast infrastructure, and the league will need to prevent future Stromausfalls to avoid similar controversies.