Champions League set to use VAR from quarter-finals stage onwards

UEFA are set to introduce video assistant referees to the Champions League from the quarter-finals stage onwards, according to reports. 

Following it’s use in the 2017-18 Bundesliga and Serie A campaigns, VAR was introduced at a World Cup for the first time at the 2018 tournament this summer.

A survey collected by agency Viga of 1,000 football fans showed that 75 per cent felt VAR improved the quality of matches and overall standard of refereeing in Russia.

And The Times report that UEFA have been encouraged by VAR’s success and are now planning for the technology to be present in this season’s Champions League.

UEFA’s club competitions committee is set to approve the system when they convene in Monaco next week and a final decision is due by the end of September. 

The stumbling block with the use of VAR in the Champions League was that resources would be stretched during the group stages, where eight matches are all played on the same night. 

UEFA are considering using VAR from the quarter-finals of the Champions League onwards

Some grounds would not have the correct facilities and there were concerns that official would be over-stretched when tasked with using the system across eight games at once. 

But having proposed VAR’s use for the quarter-finals onwards, UEFA chiefs hope officials will be able to make the correct calls in the high-profile matches.

UEFA will now have to make a decision on whether the extra match official placed behind the goal – the additional assistant referee (AAR) – is still required.  

There is also talk of the technology being used at Euro 2020 – despite the tournament being played across multiple cities.