The disclosure of communication between referees and video referees (VAR) about matches in the First Portuguese Football League will be made through a monthly television program, the entities involved announced on Monday.
In a joint statement by the Arbitration Council (CA) of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and SportTV, these entities decided that “the audio of conversations between field referees and VAR in all bids being evaluated on the screen available on the field” will be released, “monthly, in a program on that channel”.
“The CA will make available the audio of the bids that fall within the characterization defined at the start of the season, in addition to an element that will be in the studio to technically frame the decisions,” the statement said.
On July 24, the Board of the FPF defended the dissemination of communications for “a pedagogical purpose, in line with what it has always regarded as appropriate practice”, then announced that: “In the period now commencing, the Board will once a month make the audio of the conversations between field umpires and VAR public in all evaluated bids on the screen available on the field.
“The CA believes that the dissemination of audio contributes to a full understanding of the function of arbitration,” defended the body headed by José Fontela Gomes
According to the CA of the FPF and SportTV, the first program with the VAR expressions will be released on Thursday from 7.30 pm.
This broadcast contains audio from the Cândido Oliveira Super Cup, which Benfica won 2-0, in a match in which FC Porto’s coach, Sérgio Conceição, and the captain of the ‘dragões, Pepe, were sent off, as well as the matches from the three first rounds of the I Liga, all played in August.
On July 24, CA also assured that “it will evaluate and maintain the impact of this decision over the course of the season as it understands that the benefits to football and to understanding the work of arbitration agents are unequivocal”.
Source: DN
