VAR: AS BAYERN MUNICH’S THOMAS TUCHEL RAGES, FAIRNESS IS QUERIED IN HONG KONG AFTER PREMIER LEAGUE STICKS WITH PARTIAL USE

Hong Kong Premier League introduced VAR for 2023-24, but 28 matches will have been played without the technology
City's referees boss denies that persisting with inconsistent use of VAR risks the league's integrity, and says there is 'no going back'

VAR controversies continue in the Uefa Champions League and English Premier League, yet Hong Kong's referees chief said he had no concerns about another fudge in how the technology is used in the city.

Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel may be sceptical, given the ways it was and was not employed in his side's loss to Real Madrid on Wednesday, while England's top flight rarely manages a match day without a row over the video assistant referee system.

But Albert Chiu Sin-chuen said he was satisfied that persisting with partial use of VAR again next season would not undermine the Hong Kong Premier League's integrity.

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Introduced in Hong Kong last September, VAR was employed in only 82 out of the present campaign's 110 matches. Unless the league consists of fewer clubs in 2024-25, Hong Kong still will not have the equipment to use VAR in every fixture.

Tsang Chiu-tat, head coach of champions-elect Lee Man, said it was "a must to have VAR for every game", while Mark Palios, former chief executive of the English Football Association, told the Post a VAR halfway house threatened the league's "sporting ethics and fairness".

But Chiu, chairman of the local FA's referees committee, said on Thursday: "For budgetary reasons, we have only two VAR systems available, so can cover only two matches per day.

"We committed to the Premier League that every team would have at least 14 matches with VAR per season ... we are very fair, clubs accepted that."

Asked if continued selective use of VAR risked the league's integrity, Chiu simply said: "No."

Palios, who now owns English League Two club Tranmere Rovers, said: "With my FA hat on, I would not want to see [partial VAR use] in a competition. It gives the perception it is not a level playing field.

"What is important, in terms of sporting ethics and fairness, is that perception is reality. If you give people the opportunity, losing teams will blame [having or not having VAR], and it provides a platform for conspiracy theorists."

Tsang, whose team are one point from being confirmed as champions, insisted the implementation of VAR had been "a good step for Hong Kong football". "But I cannot say it has been totally satisfactory, because ideally it would cover every game," he said.

"VAR makes a difference. [When we have VAR] I always tell my players to keep playing, no matter what. If an offside flag goes up, you cannot stop. Your offside line has to be very clear, you have to be more cautious. Without VAR, you can mark players more tightly, especially at set-pieces."

Tsang added that VAR checks needed accelerating, a view echoed by Chiu, who blamed consistently protracted reviews on newly trained officials adapting.

Chiu was speaking at an FA VAR seminar he co-hosted alongside Charles Cheung Yim-yau, the FA's head of refereeing. He said he had no resistance from clubs, officials or players over the use of VAR, even with a growing chorus wanting technology removed from the English game and Sweden's clubs last month voting against its introduction.

"If we do not have VAR, we will be marginalised," Chiu said. "There is no going back. Without VAR, we cannot host big tournaments and the standard of football will not improve."

Before VAR's introduction in Hong Kong, FA chief executive Joaquin Tam said it would "allow Hong Kong to host large-scale football events" and "attract more sponsors".

In April, the city missed out on hosting rights for the next three East Asian Football Federation Championship finals, while Taiwan was chosen to stage the qualifying competition for next year's tournament.

Chiu said the FA was "very close" to announcing its first VAR-associated sponsor. "The game stops every time there is a check, so it is a good commercial opportunity," he said.

The government provided HK$7.8million to implement VAR. Chiu said government officials took a "keen interest" in its performance and some had watched games from the VAR hub.

In return for the funding, the FA committed to using VAR in some women's and junior games next season.

Most of the cash was supplied by Fifa, although Chiu said he could not divulge how much. The sport's global governing body sends assessors to study the league's use of VAR about twice a season, with Chiu reporting "positive feedback" after only three of 59 VAR reviews this season delivered the wrong outcome.

The FA had hoped to establish a VAR hub at the new Kai Tak Sports Park before the end of this year. Chiu said he was optimistic of gaining access to the facility by February 2025 and having it operational "one to two months later".

He argued for improved communication between referees and clubs, because "a lot of [clubs'] negative noises are a result of not understanding protocols", and anticipates six more licensed VAR officials being added to the current roster of 29 for the start of next season.