Liverpool Request Audio Recording of VAR Interactions After Luis Diaz Goal Controversy
Liverpool have requested to hear the audio recording of the interactions between the VAR officials and the on-field referee after Luis Diaz failed to be awarded a legitimate goal. As soon as replays showed Diaz was clearly in front of the last Tottenham defender and no evidence of the offside lines on Sky Sports’ coverage, something felt amiss.
It later proved true with the PGMOL admitting a “significant human error” failed to see the VAR intervene, with the events detailed as the wrong message being confirmed to referee Simon Hooper. Liverpool’s statement did not keep anyone in the dark as to their feelings on the matter after witnessing “sporting integrity being undermined,” and asking for “full transparency.”
What is Liverpool Requesting?
That transparency includes the audio recording between the officials, and ESPN‘s VAR specialist, Dale Johnson has stated that the “VAR audio of the incident will be released.” One could assume that the audio will be released to only Liverpool and not the public, but full transparency would mean allowing all to be privy to what occurred. It promises to be interesting!
The Telegraph go on to say that the Reds are “keen” to discover what unfolded during and in the immediate aftermath of Diaz never being rightfully awarded his goal. It is worth a reminder that when Liverpool’s No. 7 found the net, it would have put his team 1-0 up after having only just gone down to 10 men. Instead, they were 1-0 down minutes later.
Why is This Important?
There has been plenty of tribal and whataboutery responses to Liverpool trying to hold officiating in this country to account, and they have all missed the bigger picture. This is not only an issue for Liverpool, as every club will have experienced incidents like this – though this was on another level entirely – and things only ever change when authority is held to account.
What Else is Happening?
In other news, Liverpool will appeal the red card shown to Curtis Jones and their case will likely be based on the still images shown to Hooper that did not follow VAR protocol.
Conclusion
Liverpool are taking a stand against what they believe was a clear injustice and are requesting full transparency from the PGMOL. The audio recording between the officials could provide valuable insight into what happened and could help ensure similar mistakes are not made in the future. It remains to be seen if Liverpool will be successful in their appeal against Curtis Jones’ red card, but their fight for justice in this case is admirable.