VAR Can Fight Many Norwegian Clubs, Federation Crossing

VAR received serious opposition from Norwegian clubs (doc. NFF).

JAKARTA - The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) launched a fiery defense of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) on Thursday, January 30, 2025, after clubs voted to remove the technology last week.

NFF president, Lise Klaveness, said the federation wanted to keep the VAR, but acknowledged the process needed to be improved following a massive fan protest that caused the fish cake to be thrown in the field in July 2024.

"Despite strong arguments in favor of the removal of VAR, particularly opposition from elite clubs, the governing body unanimously concludes that the best thing for Norwegian football is to maintain and develop VAR," Klaveness said.

Klaveness added his argument by citing a number of decisions that have been corrected by VAR since its introduction.

The final vote on whether to maintain VAR in the top two Norwegian leagues will take place at the NFF Congress in early March 2025.

The congress consisted of male professional clubs (19 out of 32 voting in favor of the abolition of VAR), women's professional teams, amateur teams, and district representatives.

Separately, NFF uploaded the recommendations of the Federation Council which said it would continue to develop VAR.

VAR is considered comprehensively the best system for the development of Norwegian football.

VAR has created a strong commitment in Norwegian football, both from those who oppose, as well as many who support and want the development and improvement of the technology.

"This is a difficult case for the NFF Council. We have considered a holistic approach where all factors are considered."

"In this case, the considerations are about the welfare of players, fair games, technology, international development, and equal opportunities."

"We believe that being fairer, more professional and future-oriented to maintain and develop VAR. Input from top clubs is essential."

"When we decided to develop the VAR further, it was based on input from NISO (Security of Norwegian Professional Footballers Association), coaches, referees, support communities, the international football community, as well as population surveys."

"The input shows that many want to maintain and develop further VAR in Norwegian football."

"The Federation Council has concluded that it will be best for the development of Norwegian football as a whole."

"VAR is part of international football for the future," reads the NFF statement.

The input and feedback from NTF (Norsk Toppfotball) or the organization that houses the Norwegian Premier League (Norwegian Premier League) club has become a weight in the assessment of the Federation Council.

The Federation Council noted that Norsk Toppfotball wrote in its recommendation that recommendations from the club board in the process had become a majority and wanted further VAR development.

However, decision-making bodies in their democratic processes as a whole have achieved different results.

Following the decision of the Federation Council to deal with VAR in the Federation Council and the publication of VAR reports, as many as 18 clubs in NTF have handled VAR at their annual meeting. While 14 clubs have not submitted the matter after the report was published.

"It is clear that this is a politically demanding situation that the majority of clubs have made decisions on annual meetings that have been made."

"It has become a heavy weight. This Federation Council will recommend VAR liquidation if we have experienced that the majority of club leaders, both at the top and top levels, as well as coaches, players, referees, and UEFA, hint at VAR having no future."

"However, written input shows that the reality is different. So, we are faced with a conflict between the majority members of top clubs that should be balanced with other majority who have a role in football," Klaveness said.

He pointed out that this was not an easy political battle, but the Federation Council has unanimously voted that the majority of the players active in Norwegian football are positive for VAR's further development.

It is also supported in the work of VAR reports, where VAR critics can be divided into two groups, namely those who oppose VAR in principle and those who oppose VAR as it has been practiced to date.

"Then we know with the technological developments we've seen in some areas in recent years that everything is happening quickly, and getting better."

"The fact that referees, namely people who should make important decisions, must lose the tools they want and return to being the only people in a football stadium who are not allowed to use technology is a setback," Klaveness said.

UEFA Supports NFF

Despite some of the challenges and debates about the use of VAR, according to UEFA, the technology has become an inevitable part of football's future.

UEFA Secretary-General, Theodore Theodoridis, stressed in a written statement to NFF that from the point of view of UEFA management, it is impossible to return to football without technology.

In Norway, VAR was introduced in Eliteserien in the 2023 season. Currently 41 countries (70 percent) of countries in UEFA have implemented the system. More countries will use VAR in the future.

The NFF president, Klaveness, pointed out that the VAR issue could have an impact on recruiting referees, player welfare, and sports competitiveness in the international arena for clubs, national teams, and referees.

"Since last summer, we have been very clear that this issue will be put forward for a vote on Norway's highest annual decision-making body."

"This is also supported by Norsk Toppfotball. International developments show that more and more countries of football use VAR."

"UEFA confirms that VAR will remain and will continue to be developed. In the view of the Federation Council, this further emphasizes the importance of the possibility of stopping the VAR being decided," Klaveness said again.

Those who support further development tend to believe that VAR provides fair results and ensures that good performances are taken into account.

While those who want VAR to be abolished believe that VAR eliminates the spontaneous excitement and charm of football.

For the 2025 season, VAR can be developed further technologically so that its use is more efficient and accurate without too much cost. All experience also shows that technology is growing rapidly and the price will fall over time.

"We have been developing during the season with existing technology and used in matches under the auspices of FIFA and UEFA."

"The time spent was much better throughout the 2024 season. Experiences from other countries show that it often takes some seasons to solve problems."

"That doesn't mean that the VAR is perfect in Norway, we still have a path to go."

"However, we will never come to a point where the referee's decision is no longer discussed, with or without VAR."

"What we know and what the figures show, that VAR contributes to a more appropriate decision in a crucial situation."

"The sports environment in our top clubs clearly wants this," Klaveness said.