A masked fan unplugged a VAR monitor during a German second division football match.
Bundesliga 2 club Preussen Munster said in a statement that the video assistant referee system was supposed to be used during the first half of their match against Hertha Berlin on Sunday after a foul.
However, “the referee was unable to review the incident using the VAR monitor in the stadium because a masked spectator from the active fan section illegally entered the pitch and unplugged the technical equipment”.
“The penalty decision was ultimately made by video referee Katrin Rafalski in the VAR room in Cologne”, the club said, adding it “regrets the incident and will do everything in its power to identify and bring the perpetrator(s) to justice”.
Preussen Munster said “immediate measures have been taken to prevent similar incidents in the future”, and that initial findings “indicate that this was a planned action – a banner to that effect was displayed in the home section shortly after the technical malfunction”.
Pictures from the match showed home fans with a banner that read “pull the plug on VAR”.
Pic: Bernd Thissen/picture-alliance/dpa/AP
Hertha Berlin scored from the penalty before going on to win 1-2 with a stoppage-time goal.
VAR was introduced in the Premier League in 2019 and was initially welcomed by players and fans over concerns about refereeing in the league.
Since then, VAR has become a major source of controversy, with the league’s chief football officer admitting in 2024 that decisions are too slow and spoil the enjoyment for supporters.
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According to the Premier League’s website, VAR is only used for “clear and obvious errors” or “serious missed incidents” – meaning incidents concerning goals, penalty decisions, direct red card incidents and mistaken identity.
