Sport24.az
"Aston Villa" head coach Unai Emery has harshly criticized the refereeing, especially the VAR system, after the Europa League semi-final match. Sport24.az reports that the Spanish specialist strongly protested against Anderson's foul on Ollie Watkins going unpunished.
Emery stated that he did not have any serious problems with the head referee's decisions during the match, but emphasized that his opinion completely changed after watching the replay of the episode:
"I felt comfortable during the game, I thought the referee was doing a good job. But after watching the episode again, I was horrified. This is a moment that is the direct responsibility of VAR. Such an intervention could have broken a football player's leg. Ollie was almost seriously injured. This is a very big, unforgivable mistake!"
The experienced specialist expressed his dissatisfaction with the incorrect use of technology with these words:
"VAR has a big responsibility and they have to explain it to us. This is just madness!"
"I have been coaching for 20 years and I support VAR 100%. But it must be applied fairly and correctly."
"The referee on the field cannot watch the episode again like me. That's why VAR had to intervene. There can be no doubt in such an episode. I ask: Where is VAR?"
It should be noted that the controversial episode and Emery's sharp statements have been widely discussed in both the British press and social networks.
