“VAR will contribute to improving the quality of V.League”
The leaders of the VFF and the leaders of the VPF shared that the application of VAR would make matches more fair and contribute to improving the quality of matches and tournaments.
24/07/2023 13:44:34
After a long period of preparation in terms of equipment, people and facilities, it is expected that VAR technology will be applied right in the third round of phase 2 Night Wolf V.League 1 – 2023. To get this result, VFF, VPF, the VFF Arbitration Committee and the referees team had to overcome many difficulties to get close to the appearance of VAR professional football technology in Vietnam.
Responding in a recent interview, the President of the Vietnam Football Federation Tran Quoc Tuan and the Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Football Federation – VPF Chairman Tran Anh Tu shared about the process from the first steps to bringing VAR technology to Vietnam.
“In 2019, when we visited the Thai-League, we saw that they had implemented VAR. Therefore, I also cherish the application of VAR in V.League. At first we thought this would be simple, but when we sent officials to contact FIFA, we received a very complicated list of requirements. From there, we discovered that things are not easy at all. Even the Thai League then applied VAR without FIFA’s approval, so they had to stop. Only after they are approved will they be allowed to continue implementing VAR.
From 2019 to 2023, it took us 2 years because of the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, while still having to comply with all strict requirements of FIFA. However, the Vietnamese referees are very quick to absorb, and VPF also quickly implements financial plans, equipment bidding and all other work. Thanks to that, we have been confirmed to meet FIFA’s standards for VAR application from the end of June, instead of September or October according to the original schedule,” said Mr. Tran Anh Tu.
The idea of implementing VAR project of VPF Company received high consensus from VFF. As a senior management organization, VFF not only has direction, but also support from many different angles, helping VPF Company accelerate the process of realizing the application of VAR in matches.
“First, I want to affirm the importance of VAR. When VAR is applied to the competition system, it will make the matches more fair, and the quality of the tournament will also improve. VAR is a breakthrough in the development of world football. Since the first official application since the 2018 World Cup in Russia, VAR has received high praise from experts as well as policy makers.
At the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020, representatives of Southeast Asian football had discussions, with the participation of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. This is the mind of many football backgrounds, how to have a VAR system to apply to their tournament, contributing to minimizing referee errors. Arbitration is challenging, with many difficulties. The intensity and nature of the tournament put great pressure on the referee’s work. Therefore, VAR plays a very important role, as a tool for the arbitration team to make a more accurate judgment. However, in order to have VAR, it takes a lot of factors, finance as well as training people to adapt to technology play an important role,” said President of the Vietnam Football Federation Tran Quoc Tuan.
During the discussions, on behalf of the Vietnam Football Federation, Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan also expressed his wish that FIFA support developing football platforms or oriented to upgrade the domestic tournament and was strongly supported by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. In addition, leaders of the VFF, leaders of VPF and specialized departments also held exchanges and learned experiences from friends in the region and Asia on VAR implementation.
“We visited Japan, the country that has applied VAR to the national championship, and found that implementing VAR requires a lot of steps, time and is very complicated. From the working sessions, we also learned the human resource training process and issues such as equipment. From there, combined with real-world issues, we work with FIFA to get support from the world’s largest football governing body.
On the other hand, VFF suggested VPF to actively find more socialization resources and deploy VAR on its own. Currently, these two roads are running parallel. It is expected that by the end of this year, we will have 2 more VAR cars sponsored by FIFA. In the meantime, we are constantly communicating between the operating departments and experts, conducting staff training so that when the equipment is available, it can be deployed immediately. If nothing changes, on September 7, the FIFA Development and Investment Committee will meet and make decisions related to the VAR system in Vietnam.
From the congress of VFF at the end of 2022, the Standing and Executive Committee analyzed, determined the roadmap and gave drastic direction. During the monthly meetings, VFF and departments, especially the VPF Company, have directions, coordination and support to have connections between FIFA, the VFF executive department, and the VPF operating department how to operate effectively and save time with the goal of putting VAR into operation as soon as possible.
Sharing about the process of putting VAR into practice at the matches of the national championship, President of the National Council of VPF Company Tran Anh Tu said that the two issues of personnel and equipment are the biggest difficulties: “This is the first time we have applied VAR technology, VPF has sought out partners specializing in television equipment to support and provide FIFA-standard equipment. Regarding personnel, we must train VAR referees from the very beginning. Initially, we planned to train a large number, but under the guidance of FIFA, to ensure quality, 18 referees and assistant referees were selected to participate in the first VAR Referee training course in Vietnam.
It must be said that the force of referees involved in training is very hard, must be concentrated in several batches, alternating with the time when professional football leagues are temporarily suspended. The referees were supposed to take a break from their duties, return to work and family, and now have to focus for a long time to participate in VAR training. Hereby, I would like to thank the referees. They have sacrificed a lot and put a lot of effort to achieve FIFA certification.
Another problem is finance. In the past time, VPF has made great efforts to mobilize, and fortunately we have sponsors willing to contribute. Besides, the Vietnam Football Federation also supported us in many aspects, especially the process of working with FIFA to have 2 more VAR vehicles. Of course, the cost of operating the VAR system is also something we have to take into account. Currently, both VPF and VFF are working hard to secure a solid financial source to operate the VAR system.”
Talking about expectations with the application of VAR, the President of the Vietnam Football Federation said: “The reality shows that even with VAR, the referees can still make mistakes. Therefore, the human issue is the most important. Recently, FIFA has organized very rigorous training, practice and testing sessions with high criteria to select the right personnel to meet the requirements with this new technology. One thing is for sure, VAR will contribute to improving the quality of V.League.
Currently, in the region, some countries are also applying VAR such as Thailand…, other countries are also preparing. When VAR is put into operation, the quality of domestic football tournaments will be improved, ensuring fairness and the image of the tournament will also be enhanced.
It is expected that VAR will be applied right in the third round – phase 2 Night Wolf V.League 1 – 2023. VPF Company and the VFF Arbitration Committee will work with all participating teams to disseminate information to players and club members, ensuring the operation for VAR in the next 3 years, when FIFA always supervises the entire VAR operation in Vietnam.
