PSSI Speeds Up About VAR, Targets To Be Used For Liga 1 Starting February 2024

PSSI General Chair Erick Thohir/INSTAGRAM @pssi

JAKARTA Chairman of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), Erick Thohir, targets the Indonesian League 1 competition to be able to use a video assistant referee (VAR) starting February 2024.

PSSI has recently continued to finalize preparations for the use of this technology in Indonesia's highest caste. The first phase of the training process is currently underway.

"Well, for the U-17 World Cup we will take it again for the second phase of training," said Erick as quoted from the federation website on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at noon WIB.

VAR usage training will continue into the third phase in December.

Erick said that the VAR brand and system for the U-17 World Cup is also the same as the VAR brand and system which is planned to be used for Liga 1 in February 2024.

"God willing, in December, we can encourage this third phase of training to be completed and when February VAR really exists," said Erick.

The use of VAR was held as a breakthrough to create more professional and clean Indonesian football.

Erick added that the placement of VAR would later be conveyed by PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB) as the operator of the prestigious competition in Indonesia.

"With this, we hope that we can suppress individual mistakes for the referees, but if there is a 'game', match-fixing, or negative football, we will still arrest them. The police have a commitment to imprison them, I have a life-long legal commitment," said Erick.

Erick said PSSI through the refereeing committee had discussed with the Komdis and PT Liga to punish the referees.

"That's what we have to encourage so that this football can continue to increase, not only the sports industry but also its achievements, because this is related," said the figure who also serves as Minister of SOEs.