MUNSTER, Germany (AP) – While the referee was deciding a penalty at a soccer match in Germany, a masked fan unplugged the referee’s video review monitor in an apparent protest against VAR technology.
During Sunday’s second-division match between Prussia Munster and Hertha Berlin, an unidentified fan came out of the stands and unplugged a monitor that referee Felix Bickel was about to use to score a penalty, Munster said in a statement.
Television footage showed a person wearing white overalls and a Munster green ski mask returning to the home fans stand.
Video assistant referee Katrin Rafalski made the call remotely and relayed it to Bickel, which did not prevent the call from going against the home team. Hertha’s Fabian Rees converted the penalty kick, giving them the lead in a 2-1 victory.
“We regret the incident and will do everything in our power to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” Munster said, adding that he would take steps to prevent it from happening again.
“Initial findings indicate this was a planned action,” Munster added. Photos from German media showed home fans holding up large banners with the message “Stop VAR”.
However, Munster captain Jorit Hendricks said he was happy with what happened.
“This shows how the fans experience things and want to do everything to win the game,” he said in comments broadcast on the TV show Sports Show. “If there’s anything I can do to influence them, I’ll do it. I completely understand that and I think it’s a good thing.”
Since VAR was introduced in German soccer in 2017, it has been a topic of debate among fans. Many consider video review delays to be an unwanted interruption to the flow of the game.
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