Lineker on Croatia's defeat: Football is once again in the shadow of VAR

Former England international and now expert commentator Gary Lineker has commented on the controversial end of Croatia's match, stressing that it is a shame that VAR is once again the main topic after a great football match.

Croatia took the lead through a goal by Ivan Perišić in the 53rd minute, Cristiano Ronaldo equalised in the 68th minute from a penalty kick, only for Goncalo Ramos to secure Portugal's victory in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

In stoppage time, Croatia tied the score at 2-2, but Joško Gvardiol's goal was disallowed after VAR intervention due to offside after minimal contact between the ball and the hair of Croatia's striker Igor Matanović.

“I feel incredibly sorry for Croatia because, once again, after a great football match, we are talking more about VAR than about football itself,” Gary Lineker said.

“Croatia believed they had just experienced one of the greatest moments in their World Cup history. The players were celebrating, the fans were erupting with delight, and then everything stopped while the referees reviewed the footage and drew the offside lines. It was truly heartbreaking,” he said.

"Football should not be remembered for VAR"

Lineker reiterated his stance on the role of video technology in football, believing that it should only be used to correct obvious mistakes.

“I have always believed that VAR should only correct clear and obvious refereeing errors, and not spend minutes analyzing situations that no one can see in real time. When decisions depend on the smallest possible details, you have to ask yourself whether technology is really improving football,” he stressed.

He believes that the controversy over the disallowed goal will remain a major topic after the match.

“Portugal deserve credit for progressing, but it's impossible to ignore the controversy surrounding the disallowed goal. You never want a World Cup knockout match to be remembered more for the refereeing than the football,” he said.

He ended by offering words of support to the Croatian team, highlighting how painful the way their performance ended was.

“I feel for Croatia. They gave their absolute best and to see their tournament end in such a cruel and controversial way is really difficult. Football should leave us talking about unforgettable moments on the pitch, not another debate about VAR,” Lineker concluded.

Source: HRT